Pokémon Red
by Lan Prower Kopaka
Summary: A fan-written novelization of the first Pokemon game, Pokémon Red! Red begins to take the brave steps into a journey to become a Pokémon Master! Enjoy the new take on an old and familiar world as Red grows beyond the role of simply silent protagonist and into the hero we know and love! If you want something true to the source material, with a couple twists and turns, check it out!
1. Chapter One: Pallet Town

If I had learned anything by living in Pallet Town, it's that a small town is majorly restricting. Sure, having the Pokémon Professor for a teacher was a great honor, and the townsfolk were all friendly and knew his family well, but there were drawbacks.

The small town was barely on the map. Aside from being the home of Professor Oak, there was nothing worth mentioning; slightly depressing, really. For some, this loss of intrigue and excitement, and especially adventure, was a gain.

I can't say I haven't enjoyed my 10 years in town, but I'm anxious to leave. Sadly, Pokémon can be aggressive creatures, and you could only leave Pallet Town with repels. The town was only a small clearing with two houses and a laboratory. There were some houses out in the forest, but they weren't a main part of the town. Essentially, aside from hanging out with my friends Yellow Satoshi and Green Leaf, there wasn't a lot to do here in Pallet Town.

If I wasn't roaming around town with my friends, I'd be sitting here, as I am, playing with my Super Nintendo console. Unfortunately, playing video games was losing its luster as I thought of my limited environment. I decided that I'd rather see my friends than play my SNES games, so I headed downstairs to let Mom know I was off to visit my friend Yellow.

Stepping down the stairs, I saw her sitting on the couch in front of the big TV in the room. "Hey Mom, I'm going to go see Yellow, just so you know I'm gone." Yellow Ash Satoshi, despite the strange name, was a good friend and was a lot like me. He could be a bit too easygoing and lenient with some things, but he was cool sometimes, whenever he actually focused and didn't get sidetracked.

After a second of thought, she said, "Right." Her eyes seemed filled with tears, and it was scary to see her this way. She could get emotional sometimes, but there was almost always a reason for it. She was a strong woman, especially after her past experiences, so her tearing up was worth investigating.

"All boys leave home someday. It said so on TV." It was so confusing to hear her say that, so I turned to the television. A movie called Stand By Me was on. Mom's favorite. My eyes turned to slits in annoyance. Mom was just overreacting to the movie.

"Oh yes," she added, wiping the tears away, "Professor Oak, next door, was looking for you." Pallet Town, being as small as it was, meant that walking to Professor Oak's house, or even his laboratory, would take only a few seconds.

Still, I raised an eyebrow to the statement, but I suppose it wasn't too strange. This wasn't the first time the professor took an interest in me. I responded with "Okay" and left. I had the bizarre feeling Mom was staring at me, but I decided to just walk on.

Getting next door barely took a minute, and soon I was greeted by Daisy. Daisy May Oak was a pretty young woman, and she was a joy to be around. She was always very generous and always took a shine to me. I always loved hanging out with her, since she's done some professional Pokémon grooming before, and she's a former champion of Pokémon contests.

"Hi Red!" she said with that practically patented smile. She was sitting inside the living room of the Oak House, blond hair flowing down her chair, matching well with her typical green dress, and was drinking tea as usual. "Blue is out at Grandpa's lab."

Well that was a relief. I'd rather not deal with Blue today. Despite our past as friends, Blue's growing up somehow meant us growing apart. I'm not sure how much of that Daisy realized, but she couldn't have been blind to it. "Well Daisy, I'm actually here because Professor Oak asked for me."

"Oh," she responded. She seemed a bit dejected…although that may have just been wishful thinking. It's hard to tell when her teacup runs dry. "Well, he's at the lab. I was wondering why he was waiting. Guess it was for you!"

That was a little embarrassing, being teased by Daisy. Or at least it seemed that way. However, I realized I'd have to go find the professor at his lab, and that meant running into her brother. Now I felt dejected. "Thanks," I said in a low tone, and walked out.

If anyone couldn't find Professor Oak's laboratory, they had to be blind. And even then, it was so big that that wouldn't take too long before you ran into it. In such a small town, the lab was an iconic piece that took up the majority of the space. The houses in the open field and those hidden in the forest dared not try to topple the lab's status. As I walked around the giant lab's exterior and entered, I was faced with a horrific sight who stood in the back. It was Blue.

Now, Blue's not the worst person ever. But the blond boy had made it clear in the past year he really didn't like me. My only guess as to why was jealousy for his grandfather's attention, but I really had no way to affect what Professor Oak thought of me. However, since I considered myself friendly, I figured I might as well try to strike up a conversation and find out where the professor is.

"Yo Red!" Blue shouted. It wasn't so bad yet; maybe this could go well. "Gramps isn't around!" Well, so much for being helpful; I guess there's no sense staying here. Although, I do see an odd machine on the desk and three Poké Balls, but it's not my place to investigate. At least past eyesight.

But Professor Oak was definitely hidden away well. Even checking with my friends Yellow and Green and their families living in the forest, none of them knew where he ran off too. I soon had the feeling he was out catching Pokémon, so I decided to head to the edge of town and look for him.

Looking past the trees and into the grassy fields ahead, I still didn't see him, and this whole experience was getting annoying. At that point, I figured if Professor Oak was hidden somewhere out there, and that I'd just have to look for him. After all, the chances were low something would attack me…right?

With a deep breathe and a brave step, I stepped into the waist high weeds, when a cry came from behind. It couldn't be…the professor?

"Hey! Wait! Don't go out!" Professor Oak shouted. But…where did he come from? Despite looking grandfatherly with his gray hair, his lab-coat swishing in his mad dash made him look smarter and slightly disheveled.

"It's unsafe!" he continued. "Wild Pokémon live in tall grass! You need your own Pokémon for your protection."

I definitely knew that. Even baby Pokémon could cause some serious pain. The only person I knew in town with Pokémon was the professor himself, and he kept them to only showing them off for lessons. Despite several lessons in how the creatures act, what they need for survival, items that work on them, and other miscellaneous information, he never really got into the more interesting details behind Pokémon battles and becoming a master of Pokémon. Perhaps he was saving that information for when we got older, but it's also possible he just forgot. He may be highly knowledgeable and wise, but he can be very absentminded and forgets to sit back and listen sometimes.

I meant to give him a response, but I took too long. "I know! Here, come with me!" he said with a triumphant voice. Not like I had anything to lose. We walked all the way back to the lab and into the backroom. He turned back to me and Blue as we stood side by side.

"Gramps! I'm fed up with waiting!" Blue shouted angrily. Gosh, he shouts a lot. I could only give another slit-eyed stare of irritation.

"Blue?" he said in odd curiosity. Did he forget Blue was waiting, or was he just distracted by my reckless charge in the grass? "Let me think...Oh, that's right, I told you to come! Just wait!" I seriously hope it's the latter, or Blue is going to chew me out more.

Professor Oak motioned to the table near us holding up three Poké Balls. "Here, Red. There are three Pokémon here. Haha!" I wanted to respond, but the joke flew over my head, so I let him continue. "The Pokémon are held inside these Poké Balls," he said, mistaking my confusion.

"When I was young, I was a serious Pokémon trainer!" Quite a big surprise to unveil, but I suppose it's believable. Professor Oak wouldn't lie, and he is super-smart when it comes to Pokémon. But how serious is serious, really?

"But now, in my old age, I have only these three left. You can have one." I was going to be speechless a lot today. "Go on, choose!" It was an honor to even see his Pokémon, but to be given the chance to own one…it was enough to make any kid overjoyed beyond words.

But the mood broke as Blue yelled, "Hey! Gramps! What about me?" Blue Gary Oak knew that, regardless of how annoying he could be seen as, he could grab attention with ease. It annoyed me, and hopefully others, but he wouldn't cease until he had what he wanted.

Professor Oak turned a frustrated eye on Blue and said, "Be patient, Blue. You can have one too!" Blue seemed relieved, but I can tell he's still a little mad I'm choosing first.

Blue saw me staring. "Heh, I don't need to be greedy like you!" Yup, Blue is still a jerk. And it's not even noon. "Go ahead and choose, Red!"

"Now, Red, which Pokémon do you want?" Professor Oak asked. I never expected a question like this. There were so many Pokémon in Kanto, so even if the choices were narrowed to three, I wasn't sure what to choose. All I had to judge them on was their looks, so I had to rely on that, even if looks alone is not a good way to make a decision.

I started on the right side of the table. Bulbasaur, a small, green dinosaur, classified as a seed Pokémon, looked cool, but I decided to keep checking my options. Squirtle, a blue tiny turtle Pokémon, looked cute, but I wasn't super psyched for it. And then there was Charmander. I don't know what it was about him, but the red lizard Pokémon looked both cool and cute to me. And, thinking ahead, that fire coming from its tail tip must be useful for an attack! Once again, it was crunch time. A deep breathe, and a brave grab.

"So!" shouted Professor Oak. Why do the Oaks always shout? "You want the fire Pokémon, Charmander?" I nodded. As I picked up the ball, Oak added "This Pokémon is really quite energetic!" And just like Charmander, a surge of energy began flowing through me too. Yes, I finally had a Pokémon!

I barely noticed as Blue walked around me and stood by my side. "I'll take this one, then!" he said proudly. Blue grabbed the ball holding the tiny turtle, leaving behind the seed Pokémon Bulbasaur. I felt bad for it, having to not get a chance to be chosen, but I was happy with my choice.

Professor Oak smiled gallantly at the boys. Already retreating back to his role as educator, he decided to tell us what the Pokémon could be used for, as if we didn't already know. "If a wild Pokémon appears, your Pokémon can fight against it!"

I was so happy, I scarcely heard him. Unfortunately, Blue was loud enough that I could hear. "My Pokémon looks a lot stronger."

Tired of his boasting, I decided on leaving. With a wave good-bye to the professor, I turned to leave, but Blue wasn't done yet.

"Wait Red! Let's check out our Pokémon!" It took but a second to process what he meant. "Come on, I'll take you on!" For once, I finally felt like a gelling with Blue was occurring again. It wasn't the pleasant friendly thoughts we had as children; instead, it was the sparks of a rivalry, a beginning before a great flame could arise.

Blue walked up, the cocky smile never leaving his face. It was at this point I saw Blue as a rival, and nothing else in the room registered in my mind beside that. This was a chance to get back at Blue Gary Oak for all the transgressions he had put against me. At last, the rivals would face off.

With a joyous shout, Blue summoned his Pokémon. "Squirtle! I choose you!" The blue turtle zoomed out of the ball with a bright light. It was a beautiful sight to witness for the first time. I can't say why the radiance of a Pokemon releasing was so fascinating now that I was trainer; I just knew that now that I was one, I'd be seeing it a lot.

It was now or never…it was my turn. "Go! Charmander!" My lizard followed suit, and as promised, he was still awesome! I feel giddy, but no time to let me stick to that. I've got a battle to win!

"Oh, for Pete's sake," Professor Oak said from behind Blue. "So pushy, as always. You've never had a Pokémon battle before, have you?" Of course we didn't, but we were totally sure we could handle it. Professor Oak seemed to disagree. "A Pokémon battle is when Trainers pit their Pokémon against each other. The Trainer that makes the other Trainer's Pokémon faint by lowering its HP to '0,' wins." It was all basic information we already knew, and we both dreaded his speech. But we couldn't start with the distraction the professor was providing.

"But rather than talking about it, you'll learn more from experience." You're kidding me, right? "Try battling and see for yourself." I was ready to facepalm, since that was our intention from the beginning, but I had to focus on the battle before me.

According to the Pokégear cell phone I got for my birthday, I had an app for identifying Pokémon techniques. And apparently Charmander knows two moves: Scratch and Growl. What? Those won't use his tail! Ugh…so much for that advantage. In that case, let's just fight back with what we got! "Charmander, Scratch!"

Charmander dashed at Squirtle as Blue ordered, "Tackle!" Charmander managed to scratch Squirtle's face, but Squirtle wasn't out of it yet. He pushed into his whole body into Charmander and sent skidding back toward me. Charmander took some damage, but he was back up and ready to keep fighting. I guess I have no reason to worry after all.

"Inflicting damage on the foe is the key to any battle," the professor said in the background, but it hardly registered to us. "It's important to get to know your Pokémon thoroughly," he added, but our minds were set. "Keep your eyes on your Pokémon's HP. It will faint if the HP drops to '0.'" Another Scratch, and another Tackle. Squirtle was desperate to keep Charmander away, but there was no hope. Blue was getting frustrated. He knew that I was faster, and that would be enough for me to win!

But, Blue decided to do a twist. A smirk appeared on his face as he shouted "Tail Whip!" But nothing happened. We both looked in confusion at the battle, the fighting taking a brief pause.

"Um…what happened?" I looked at both Pokémon through my Pokégear to see if anything changed on one or both of them. No stat changes, no injuries, was it worthless?

"What happened?!" Blue shouted to the heavens. Professor Oak looked at the two and just sighed.

"Tail Whip would have made Charmander lower its guard, seeing such a cute attack. Except, Charmander blinked."

Silence overtook the lab. No one really wanted to move, not even Professor Oak's aides in the background. Still, we had an opening! "Scratch!"

Charmander was a little confused, but he obeyed and attacked. Squirtle tried to dodge, but he turned around again. The tail took the hit, but that didn't mean total victory.

"Tail Whip!" Blue shouted furiously. This time, Charmander saw the wagging tail, and sure enough, he seemed less tense and worried. Still, a few more hits, and I'll win!

"Scratch!" I said, continuing the loop. But as Blue ordered another Tackle, Charmander took the hit hard. Apparently, Tail Whip works very well. If only Charmander could whip that fire around…

Oh well. "Scratch!" Squirtle used another Tail Whip, but it was too late! Charmander's speed would lead me to victory! One more hit, and I'd win!

"End this, Charmander! Scratch!" It all depended on this. Charmander made one last dash. If he missed, he may very well faint! But no, I have faith. My buddy will win!

With three claw mark straight in the face of Squirtle, it was over! Blue's face sunk, and Squirtle was returned into its ball. We won!

"WHAT?" Blue shouted, the loudest he'd ever been. "Unbelievable! I picked the wrong Pokémon!"

Professor Oak grunted, as though upset with what Blue said. However, he turned his mood pretty quickly, and went back into lecture mode. "Hm, excellent! If you win, you earn prize money, and your Pokémon will grow!" Professor Oak merely told his grandson, "Blue, you've lost. As a trainer, you're required to pay him a fair amount for his troubles." Blue shoved a measly 175 of his Pokédollars into my hand. But that wasn't important. What was important was that now, I was better than Blue! "Battle other trainers and make your Pokémon strong!"

I now knew what I was going to do next! But, as though Blue read my mind, he said, "Okay! I'll make my Pokémon fight to toughen it up! Red! Gramps! Smell ya later!" And with that, Blue walked away, never to be seen again.

I wish.

"Red, raise your young Pokémon by making it fight!" The last words of advice from the Pokémon Professor. I knew it wouldn't be easy, but there was no question that it would be fun! But first, it was time to show Mom!

I dashed back home to see my lovely mother, and she was so happy to see me as I walked in. "Red! You should take a quick rest."

While I sat back, I told her all about the battle I had in the lab and showed her Charmander. She had that motherly smile of 'I'm so proud.' Sometimes I felt a little embarrassing to see her reflect on me that way, but today, it was an awesome boost of morale!

After we sat and watched some more of Stand By Me, Charmander started stretching and I followed suit. Mom said, "Oh good! You and your Pokémon are looking great!"

"Thanks Mom," I replied. "Charmander and I are going to go adventuring! We won't be gone long."

She smiled and nodded. "Take care now!" And once I returned Charmander to his ball, we were off!

Route 1, I finally was on it, on my own. Well, sort of; I still had Charmander. And no repels to protect me like Mom and others used. It was a strange feeling of freedom, but I loved it. And now it was time to go even farther: Viridian City, baby!

But that energetic attitude didn't last long. A wild Pidgey appeared! I've seen them all the time, but now I was going to battle one! "Go! Charmander!" It was now time to put my new Pokémon to the test of the wild. "Scratch!"

His claws hit the bird's chest, and I was sure we were going to win. But it wouldn't be an easy win. Suddenly, a large burst of wind, almost like a dust devil, swarmed Charmander! It certainly hit harder than any of those Tackles. But this critical hit wouldn't phase me!

"Scratch!" That Pidgey was so close to defeat, but unfortunately, so was Charmander. Apparently Pidgey found Charmander's weak spot, and being so close, he was able to land another critical hit. That made me worried.

"Scratch!" I yelled in desperation. I couldn't see Charmander's face, but I bet he was worried too. That blasted pigeon osprey thing survived, but at least Charmander finally had the time to block before Gust could do severe damage. This was it, the last hit!

"Scratch!" Hopefully Charmander learns a new attack soon, but at least the enemy Pidgey fainted!

My second battle ever was a success, and it was a time to celebrate! But first, I saw a man walking around on Route 1. Not weird I suppose, but his clothes made it seem like he was supposed to be working at a store. I found it odd for him to be here, but I decided I might as well send a greeting his way.

"Hi! I work at a Pokémon mart!" he called to me first. "It's part of a convenient chain selling all sorts of items." I had only been there a few times. It was like a grocery store; at least, that's where Mom would get all the food and repels. "Please, visit us in Viridian City."

The guy was a solicitor, that was obvious, and he soon realized my thoughts. Worried to lose a customer, he added, "I know, I'll give you a sample. Here you go!"

The man gave me a Potion! I only knew a little bit about them, but they were very useful if you had a hurt Pokémon. I considered using it right there, but I decided to wait until I really needed it. "We also carry Poké Balls for catching Pokémon!" Hmm, more Pokémon? I was definitely going to Viridian City now; I said my thanks and continued the journey.

I decided I wouldn't risk going through too much grass to save Charmander the trouble of fighting so much. But this route has a very odd structure, pointless twists and jagged ledges getting in the way.

As I marched on through another patch of grass, I met a Rattata, but Charmander fought bravely. Thanks to his superior speed, he won, but clearly the wild Pokémon were taking their toll. I knew I had to hurry, but more Pokémon continued to come at us. I had two choices: use the Potion now and risk not having it against another trainer, like Blue; or run away. It seemed cowardly, but I knew I had to protect my buddy. So we ran, and got away safely!

And the reward? Just there, across the path, Viridian City! 


	2. Chapter Two: Viridian City

_**Chapter Two: Viridian City**_

At last, we finally arrived. I practically wanted to hug my little buddy, but I realized he was still hurting, so I needed to find a Pokémon Center. From my studies, they were a Pokémon league funded thing. Well that's awesome, but it's time to use their services.

There's some sign telling me I should use it to heal PP, but of course it doesn't say where it is in town. I was about to bow my head and sigh, when just a few meters away stood the Pokémon Center. Oops…

Whatever, healing time! Inside, it seemed like a big building. A few people inside, but nothing too noteworthy. Either way, this wasn't the time to gawk. I gave my hello to the nurse in the back.

"Welcome to our Pokémon Center!" she said in such a cheery voice. "We heal your Pokémon back to perfect health! Shall we heal your Pokémon?" I nodded. "Okay, we'll need your Pokémon."

As I handed Charmander over, she put his Poké Ball into a giant machine next to her. Within a few seconds, and the addition of bright flashing lights, the ball popped right back out, and she gave back my buddy. "Thank you! Your Pokémon are fighting fit!"

Awesome! "We hope to see you again!" Such a nice lady. But let's explore this city; maybe get me some Poké Balls!

However, finding the Pokémon Mart was not as easy. There were lots of people in town. A guy who thought I had more than one Poké Ball for some reason, a grumpy old man and his granddaughter in need of coffee (although something tells me more than coffee is involved), and a guy that liked talking about caterpillar Pokémon. But right there behind him was the store!

I stepped inside, rummaging through my pocket for my Trainer Card, the debit card of Kanto. But then the clerk called out to me. "Hey! You came from Pallet Town?"

"Uh, yeah." How did he know?

"You know Professor Oak, right?" I slowly nodded, unsure of what to say. "His order came in. Can I get you to take it to him?"

I nodded, and the man behind the counter handed me a strange parcel. I took the box and put it in my backpack. "Okay, thanks! Please say hi to Professor Oak for me, too!" Hopefully I won't forget, but I probably will.

My walk back to Pallet Town was mostly uneventful. I was able to stay out of the tall grass mostly, so my battles were hardly existent. It was still an amazing adventure I'd never forget; but first, a special delivery.

I walked inside, and Professor Oak greeted me with a big smile. "Oh, Red! How is my old Pokémon?"

"Oh, he's great, sir!" I cheerfully responded. "We've got into some intense fights, but Charmander is definitely awesome!"

Professor Oak took all my words in and said, "Well, it seems to be growing more attached to you. You must be talented as a Pokémon trainer!" Considering the man, it was one of the greatest compliments of my life.

Unfortunately, business before pleasure…well, except for right now. I reached in my backpack and handed over the parcel.

"What's that? You have something for me?" And with that, I delivered Oak's parcel. I was about to say where I got it from, but Professor Oak interrupted me.

"Ah! It's the custom Poké Ball! I had it on order." Custom Poké Ball? "Thank you!" It seemed like Professor Oak was about to say more, but a familiar shout exuded through the lab.

"Gramps!" Oh great. Blue walked up and asked, "What did you call me for?"

"Oh right!" Professor Oak answered, preoccupied with other thoughts as usual. "I have a request for you two." Blue slouched where he stood, and I didn't blame him. There's always a catch, isn't there?

"On the desk there is my invention, the Pokédex!" The odd machine from earlier? "It automatically records data on Pokémon you've seen or caught. It's a high-tech encyclopedia!" My eyes bulged a little at that. A device capable of scanning a Pokémon by sight and organizing data created by…someone. Who cares, it was impressive, to say the least.

"Red and Blue. Take these with you." I guess it's not a catch after all, it's a huge reward! I got the Pokédex from Professor Oak and started messing around with it, but Professor Oak wasn't done talking yet. "You can't get detailed data on Pokémon just by seeing them. You must catch them to obtain complete data."

He then began digging in his pockets. "So, here are some tools for catching wild Pokémon." He handed us each five Poké Balls! "When a wild Pokémon appears, it's fair game. Just throw a Poké Ball at it and try to catch it!" I wasn't very familiar with Poké Ball usage, but I knew enough that the professor was still being redundant. Still, I appreciated his help.

He added, "This won't always work, however. A healthy Pokémon can escape. You have to be lucky!" This made me a bit nervous, since I wasn't sure how lucky I'd need to be…but I still had hope!

"To make a complete guide on all the Pokémon in the world," he said, practically daydreaming. "That was my dream! But, I'm too old. I can't get the job done." Although, this is starting to smell like a catch again… "So, I want you two to fulfill my dream for me." Woah, seriously? He wants us to record them all?!

"Get moving, you two!" he said, his voice exploding with pride and joy. "This is a great undertaking in Pokémon history!"

Wow…I looked to see what Blue was thinking, and I could see it in his eyes: the thirst for fame and glory. "Alright Gramps! Leave it all to me!" Please don't be a jerk, please don't be a jerk.

"Red, I hate to say it, but you won't be necessary for this." Um…is that a compliment? Impossible. Still, I had to say something before things got out of control.

"Professor, how will we know where to go?" I wasn't sure if Professor Oak could answer me, but apparently Blue could.

"I know! I'll borrow a Town Map from my sis!" A genius idea! Plus, Daisy may have had some leftover maps from her Pokémon Contest days. "I'll tell her not to lend you one, Red! Hahaha!" I was hoping he was joking, but he then took on a serious face and added, "Don't bother coming around to my place after this!"

The slit eyes of irritation return. But he didn't care, and soon strut off. I looked to the professor for advice, but all he had to say was, "Pokémon around the world wait for you, Red!" Yeah, let's just go all over the world. Especially without a map. Smart idea.

Apparently Professor Oak didn't understand my expression, so I just stormed off. Daisy would never listen to her jerk brother's despicable command, so I might as well grab a map now.

As I explained my situation, Daisy merely said, "Grandpa asked you to run an errand? Gee, that's lazy of him" A bit bigger than an errand, Daisy. "Here, this will help you." Either she was a mind reader, or her brother made it too obvious, because now I had a Town Map! "Use the Town Map to find out where you are."

A little crude, but it would definitely help navigate Kanto. But, the good son that I am (I swear I'm being modest), I better ask Mom for permission. One Charmander isn't much protection.

As Mom and I talked, I could her eyes welling up with tears. Now her crazy quote about Stand By Me made total sense. I started to feel bad; Dad passed away years ago, and now I was abandoning Mom…

"No, you go honey," she sniffled, wiping away her tears and wearing a proud smile. "Your father was a great trainer, and I know you'll be too! Just please, be careful. Promise me that, and I promise I'll be okay too," she said with a long-lasting hug.

Yeah, we're a sappy family. But that hug would be one of the last hugs I'd get for a long time, so I was going to enjoy every second of it.

It was a restless night. And no, for once it wasn't because of the common cliché associated with fear or anything, it was absolute joy. Charmander was allowed to stay out of his ball as long as he watched his tail, and he happily obeyed.

Sadly, trainers needed a special license to let Pokémon out freely in public, or so Green told me, and that was far too expensive to buy. Still, my room was fine, so the two of us sat down and memorized the map.

There was no way we'd return home for awhile, so we made sure to grab plenty of supplies. Mom would be annoyed at that, but she was fine as long as we stayed well fed. To be truthful, Pokémon don't need food, they can live without it. But hey, Charmander's my buddy.

We also noticed that the Pokémon League was west of Viridian City. We wouldn't be allowed in, but the sight was considered inspiring, so that was the first stop for tomorrow. It took hours to fall asleep. It wasn't so hard for Charmander; the Poké Ball relaxed my pal enough. But my bed was not so advanced.

Still, I slipped into a dream, surrounded by Charmanders, with a giant beast, a Pokémon, almost like a classic kind of dragon, flying through the sky. The dream felt like it lit a flame in my heart as I watched the dragon soar.

But as good as the dream was, I never felt so happy to wake up early. I grabbed my Poké Ball and let out Charmander, who was a little grumpy, but ready to go. We snuck into Mom's room, hidden below the house, and tried to wake her up. Definitely not a morning person.

But with her coffee, she was Super Mom! We ate up and wanted to rush out the door, but Mom took her sweet time, and we all knew why. With the last of my food, water, and other stuff packed away, we were ready to go!

I returned Charmander, and looked to Mom. The tears were streaming down her face, and it took every meter of my power to hold back mine.

Then she hugged me. So much for that. But we said our good-byes, and I promised to call every night. It was hard on the both of us, but as I opened that door, she said one last thing. "Son?"

"Yes Mom," afraid of another hug that would cause another breakdown.

"Promise me one more thing. Promise me, you'll do whatever it takes to be the very best!"

I turned back to her, and saw her beautiful face staring back at me. Those caring eyes gave me the strength that would propel me for the rest of my days. I gave her a smile and a wink. "Like no one ever was."

You know, for such a boring town, leaving it can be really hard. Bad enough I'm leaving the comfort of home and Mom, but I'm also abandoning my two best friends, Yellow and Green. They both turned 10 recently, but I think they haven't got their trainer cards yet, which they'll need to prove they're legal for Pokémon usage.

Nevertheless, as I walked out of town, there they were, ready to say their farewells. "Red, man," Yellow said, "You have a blast out there. And don't you worry; I'll be seeing you soon." Gave him the cool secret handshake every best bud combo has, and gave him a confident smile to match his smirk.

"Red," said Green, a bit meeker but still a loyal friend. "You be careful out there." She sounded almost as worried as Mom, but changed her attitude right away. "I'll be out there soon too, so you make sure you warm up the routes for me!"

After one more hug, I said, "You guys, I'll be waiting to see you too. So hurry up!" With that, I turned and ran; well, as much as the shoes would let me, it really hurt to run in them. But that would be more dramatic.

Speaking of which, I noticed that the other townspeople, even Daisy, weren't here, which must have meant Blue left already. Shoot, he's ahead of me! Or, is he behind? Wouldn't Daisy say bye too? Either way, I had to hurry!

But thankfully it didn't take too long, and I was back in Viridian! As I entered the city, a thought crossed my mind: what if five Poké Balls? Well, I definitely need as many as I can get, so I might as well buy those first.

Once I entered, I immediately realized I forgot to send across the clerk's greeting to Professor Oak, but apparently I wasn't the only forgetful one. "Hi there!" the clerk said, "May I help you?" If I didn't know better (and maybe I don't), I'd say he didn't recognize me, but oh well.

"Well, I'm looking for new trainer supplies," I answered, a little nervous.

The man had an understanding look about him, and waved his hand to the glass counter. "Take your time." Three medicines and a bunch of Poké Balls. Huh. Well, better to be safe; I bought three Poké Balls and one of each medicine. Now, let's go to the Pokémon League!

Route 22, boy, we're going out of order already. But, right as I step into the grass, a wild NidoranM appears! I'm sure Charmander can handle this little guy!

"Go! Charmander!" Sheesh, that better not be my catch phrase. A barrage of Scratches help me ease NidoranM down, and as any novice trainer knows…hopefully, that means it's time to catch this bad boy!

"Go, Poké Ball!" Shoot, curse the dramatic me. But for the first time, I got to see in person a Poké Ball wiggle. And again. And again!

And it broke free. Shoot! It was so close too! But a good trainer doesn't give up, no matter what.

With one more toss, I just knew this would be it. One. Two. Three! Lock! All right! NidoranM caught!

Then, as if to give me a heart attack as a reward, a computerized male voice came out of nowhere. "New Pokédex data will be added for NidoranM !" I looked everywhere, wondering what in the world that was, before I realized, it came from my backpack.

I tore it open and found the noisemaker: the Pokédex. Right there on the screen was everything you'd need to know about NidoranM . Except stats or attacks or anything. But what trainer would ever want that? But that did leave me with a question, and as I looked through the Pokédex, I realized the unfortunate answer.

Yes, if you catch a Pokémon, you'll get all sorts of data probably recorded by old guys from over the years. But if you only see it, you just get a picture and an area location. Shoot, that won't help me much. Guess I have to do this mission the hard way.

Oh well, back to celebrating. My little buddy was hurt, and my new buddy was too, but I decided to take one more look around before I headed back to heal. I know, what about the League? "But there's Pokémon!" I say out loud to no one in a whiny voice.

After a good deal of battling, I managed to get another pal, Rattata, and give my new friends some experience. But now, finally, we could go to the Pokémon League!

"Hey! Red!" Shoot. There he was, Blue, walking from there. He apparently stole my idea, which was going to sting for a long time. "You're off to the Pokémon League?" I was about to explain myself, but of course, interruptions are more fun. "Forget about it!" Why me? "You probably don't have any badges, do you? The guard won't let you through without them."

So many ways to say duh, but I can handle this jerk. After all, we may never see each other after this. "By the way, did your Pokémon get any stronger?" This wasn't a question, it was a challenge.

Fine, if Blue wants to fight, so be it! "I choose you, Pidgey!"

"Go! NidoranM !" Oops, I'm getting addicted to that phrase. But enough banter, time for action. Unfortunately, starting with NidoranM was a bad idea. He was barely hurting the bird, and that made me fear that even Charmander may have a tough time. So, it was time to try a new strategy.

"Leer!" I shouted. Leer would give that Pidgey a good scare, and that would definitely force it to replace defense with fright. But as if Blue knew what I was up to, he beat down my NidoranM with Gust. This is really bad, NidoranM fainted and now I needed Charmander to save me. I promised myself I would train like crazy from now on if I won this fight.

"One down," Blue said with a sneer. Oh, you're going down, Blue. And no matter how many times you get up, I'll keep taking you down.

Charmander roared onto the scene. And yet he's still so cute! But my cutie will trounce Blue, and sure enough, my assault of Scratches wore the Pidgey down. Unfortunately, it came with a ton of damage. Gust versus Scratch, and while Charmander was fast enough to block a potential critical hit, the Gusts hurt.

And with one last critical hit, Pidgey was done! But with all Charmander's damage, this was going to be a hard fight when Squirtle came out. Rattata would be my best bet to give Charmander some time. At the very least, Charmander knew Ember, so that would be useful later. "End this fight, Squirtle!"

"Charmander enough! Come back!" With a beam of light, he was brought back into the ball, and right after that, I threw Rattata to the field. Since there was no way Rattata could beat his turtle, my best bet was to give Charmander a fighting chance.

"Tail Whip!" Not only was it a bit of vengeance for that Tail Whip barrage at the lab, but it was a nice hit to the turtle's defense too. Unfortunately, Tackle hurt so much that even Tail Whip wouldn't be that helpful.

"Hahaha, Tail Whip? You're so dead, Red!" My patience is so thin right now. "Here, let me humor you! Tail Whip!" He may be a jerk, but he just bought me a turn. Another Tail Whip, and my chances got a little better. Until he showed off his new move.

"Alright, enough humor," he said, wiping away a tear. "Bubble!" What? Squirtle shot some bubbles from his mouth, and they moved faster than any bubble I had ever seen. And unfortunately, that was the same for Rattata. "Never stood a chance," the smirk never leaving his face as he said it.

"This is it," I said quietly. "Win for me, buddy. Go! Charmander!" Now, Ember would be lovely, if he wasn't Water type. So, that leaves only one move. "Scratch!"

Not only did it barely hurt, but it got worse, his Tackle put me near the edge. I reluctantly pulled out my only Potion, saving my little buddy, but a few Bubbles still smacked him right in the face.

It occurs to me that Squirtle is going to be a tank, and with Bubble, I'm doomed. So I instead went with Growl, hoping I could shrink his attack. It worked…sort of. It's taking too long. It looks like I won't win. But if I'm going down, I'm taking that turtle down as much as I can! "Scratch!"

Blue went with Tackle again, and I saw it. There's still a chance! If I'm right, whoever lands the next hit wins! "Charmander! Scratch and win!"

"Squirtle! Tackle it to death!" Squirtle and Charmander charged towards each other, ready to fight for their masters till the end. Squirtle lowered its head and went for the finisher, but Charmander, just mere inches from defeat, jumped over the turtle. Blue and I stood stunned as it flew over and landed right behind the Water Pokémon. And right as Squirtle turned around, so did Charmander, leading with a massive claw to the face! Squirtle gripped its head in pain as it fell over, and with that, we defeated Blue! With just one HP to spare, too!

"Awww! You just lucked out!" Clearly he was annoyed as he transferred the money and returned Squirtle to its ball. "I heard Pokémon League is crawling with tough trainers."

I can't say I'm surprised, trainers from all over gather, especially from Kanto and Johto. "I have to figure out how to get past them." he continued. "You should quit dawdling and get a move on!" Says the guy who's doing the exact same thing as me. I tried to give him my patent-pending annoyed stare, but he waltzed off back to Viridian. Unfortunately, I'll have to follow him before I continue on; my pals are looking pretty beat up.

True to my word, I began the annoying process of training. I also managed to catch a NidoranF as I trekked along. This team is looking good so far! But finally, for real this time, I arrived. The Pokémon League Front Gate.

I stepped inside, and took in the legendary surroundings. The statues looked awesome, and the place had that epic feeling about it. Surprisingly only one guard blocked the exit. I went to talk to them, and they told me an obviously rehearsed line. "Only truly skilled trainers are allowed through. You don't have the Boulder Badge yet!" He gave me a wicked scowl, and I was ready to back off, but he softened a bit before saying, "The rules are rules. I can't let you pass."

I was about to say I understood, until the dude pushed me! Jerk, he must have been taking lessons from Blue.

At that point, I felt I might as well go look for this Boulder Badge. Unfortunately, Professor Oak didn't teach us much about gyms, but I'm pretty sure every major city has one, and Viridian is definitely a major city.

So as I walked through town, I saw a familiar face: the old man who was apparently too grumpy to let us pass. "Ahh," he said, "Well, now, I've had my coffee, and that's what I need to get going!" I really hope he does mean coffee this time.

I asked if I could go through, and he happily responded, "Sure you can go through!" Did he forget that he wouldn't let me yesterday? But before I could turn and forget the old guy, he asked, "Are you in a hurry?" I wanted to say yes, but I can't lie, so I admitted I wasn't. He looked me over and noticed in my hand the Pokédex. "Hm? What is that red box you have?"

I responded by saying it was a Pokédex, made and given to me by Professor Oak. He nodded, as if understanding everything I said was so simple. "Ah, so you're working on your Pokédex. Then let me give you a word of advice." He began pointing and speaking about the Pokédex as if he invented it! "Whenever you catch a Pokémon, the Pokédex is automatically updates its data." I was about to ask him how he knew all this, but clearly he was on a roll. He looked at me for a few seconds, as if waiting for a response. "…You don't know how to catch a Pokémon?"

"Of course I-"

"I suppose I had better show you then." I already know! But before I could counter him, a wild Weedle appeared out of nowhere! But he apparently had a Poké Ball handy, and caught it in one go.

"Not bad," I said. Although I wonder how a Pokémon just crawled into town right as the old man needed a demonstration, but I decided to humor him for now.

"First, you need to weaken the target Pokémon." But you didn't. You're giving contradictory advice, old man! Instead, he threw the ball and immediately caught the Weedle. Congratulations? "There! Now tell me, that was educational, was it not?"

"Uh huh," I said in a skeptical tone. "Well, thank you for the help, sir."

"Oh, no trouble, my boy." I turned to leave, but he still had more to say. "And here, take this, too." He handed me a strange mini TV that was small enough to fit in my pocket. "That's a Teachy TV! It only has one channel, but it features my grandson, Primo! If there's something you don't understand, watch that. It will teach you about the basics of being a Pokémon Trainer!"

Sure, now can I go? Of course, I kept my manners up and instead repeated myself. "Thank you for the help, sir."

He nodded farewell and said one last thing. "You may call me Old Man." No.

Thankfully, just to the east stood a giant building with the word "GYM" on it. It looks like my first gym battle was about to go down!

Until I tried the door. Apparently the gym's doors are locked. Shoot.

"This Pokémon gym is always closed," said a man standing by the side. "I wonder who the leader is?"

"So then you have no idea when he'll be back?"

"Nope, I'm just bored." Why are people so weird? Still, as I hopped over a ledge back into the main part of town, my hopes began to fade. The first gym, and it's already abandoned. I looked around town, asking if anyone had more information, but no luck.

Well, the Pokémon League requires eight badges, so either there's a new gym or the League will have to get involved. But for now I guess I'll just find another gym. No sense waiting for bureaucracy to settle my problems.

So then, enough waiting; it's time to hit Route 2.

Route 2 was purely easy, and I only ran into a Weedle. I tried to copy…Old Man, and just threw a Poké Ball. Of course it didn't work. I knew that guy was a cheat. Still, I was easily able to catch the hairy bug after I hit it a bit.

And afterward, I entered the guard station between Route 2 and Viridian Forest. Now, no one really understood the purpose of lookout stations unless you really knew your history. According to Professor Oak, the lookout stations separated areas apart. Normally they do nothing, but they act as a barrier just in case the Pokémon get too antsy. Or worse: aggressive.

Either way, Pokémon hardly ever attacked humans, so I wasn't worried. At least about that. But getting lost in Viridian Forest; that worried me. People liked to call it a natural maze, and I can already tell that's what it'll be. It's ominous, filled with bugs, and could take awhile to get through. Such is the life of a trainer, right?

As I reached a giant tree, separate from the others, a boy nearby grabbed my attention. "I came here with some friends! They're out for Pokémon fights!"

"So why aren't you with them?" I asked in confusion.

"Uh…mine already fainted." I don't know if I should consider him pitiable or take it as a warning.

Still, he wasn't lying, there were trainers out and about. Apparently all these Viridian kids were Bug Catchers, which is really an odd way to restrict yourself, but if TV has taught me anything, it's that little kids like bugs. Explains my Weedle. Also, apparently I can't jam out if I'm a trainer. Right…

Anyway, despite the formidable appearance and reputation, Viridian Forest was easy enough to get through. And it came with its own reward. Weedle evolved into Kakuna! At first I was worried I'd be stuck in a Harden War, but my Kakuna is so smart, it remembers the old attacks it knew! Six Pokémon so far; Professor Oak, I'm on my way.


	3. Chapter Three: Pewter City

Waking up can be really painful. I remember once my mom tried to wake me up for school, and of course I mumbled and grumbled in bed. So she opened my blinds. My poor eyes were not happy that day. If you've ever had that feeling, or been in that situation, then you know how it feels to leave Viridian Forest. Bright lights pounded upon my eyes as I walked toward the next city in front of me.

The next town was called Pewter City, and it was a vast looking place, at least for someone as young as myself. I had heard there were bigger places in Kanto, but to me this town was large enough. Still, as much as I wanted to go sightseeing, I had to make my first stop: the Pokémon Center. The lady happily took my Pokémon, and while waiting I decided to take a look around. That's when I saw a Pokémon in the corner! The guy next to it must have had a special license to let it out. I decided I'd have to ask him about that as soon as the nurse healed my Pokémon.

The moment I got my Poké Balls back, I practically jogged over to the guy and his Pokémon. Unfortunately, he was asleep, but I figured I could at least use my Pokédex on it. But before I could pull it out, the Pokémon started singing! And almost immediately, I fell asleep.

According to the nurse, I woke up hours later, practically missing the entire night. Two thoughts hit my mind as I shook the last bits of sleep from my mind. First, what in the world happened? And second, shoot, I didn't get to call Mom!

It took a few rings and a lot of worried comments, but I finally got through to Mom, and she settled down. She was happy I got rest at least, even if I never planned it that way. After a long conversation, we hung up and she finally went to bed. I turned towards the man, ready to burst with anger, and asked him just what happened.

"Yawn!" the man rudely replied. "When Jigglypuff sings, Pokémon get drowsy." The man hung on the word, and I could see his eyes close right there before me. "Me too," he added, complete with a snore to close it all out.

I decided it was not worth wasting anymore time, and I went outside, just minutes before sunrise. There were still a lot of things I didn't know about the world, and even with all the lectures Professor Oak gave us, it seems they weren't enough to avoid the lulling affects of a singing Pokémon. I decided I'd start to be more careful. Singing Pokémon were going to be the least of my problems. I let out a yawn and decided to search town for the one answer I really needed: is there a gym here?

My journey through town didn't yield many results. Aside from a gardener who loved repels and a notice warning about Pokémon fossil thieves at Mt. Moon, the town didn't have much to offer yet. But I still had the northwest to check out, so I began my approach. I saw a Poké Mart, and I figured that would a good place to stock up in case a gym fight was coming, but then a man outside the store called out to me. "Did you check out the museum?"

There's a museum? "Um…no," I said, slightly curious but feeling distracted. "Why?"

"Really? You absolutely have to go!" I wanted to ask why, but he practically dragged me along. I gave in and followed him. After all, I might as well enjoy the sights; Blue's probably way ahead anyway.

"It's right here!" The Pewter Museum of Science was pretty big, at least considering my experiences. I haven't had much experience outside Pallet Town though, so everything looked big to me. "You have to pay to get in, but it's worth it!" I wasn't too convinced despite his eagerness, but I was still curious to see inside curious, so I went in to pay. "See you around!"

The clerk inside confirmed I'd have to pay 50 Pokédollars for a child's ticket. For a kid, especially a young new trainer, it feels like a rip-off; I don't know how Mom makes all that money. I'll have to ask her someday.

In the meantime, the museum at least proved to have awesome sights: strange skeletons of an Aerodactyl and Kabutops, meteorites, and a giant model of a space shuttle. It was a strange assortment of items, filled with many things I didn't understand; but I guess they're all cool to see, especially the skeletons of primitive Pokémon. But I had enough fun looking at the sights, and it was time to answer my question: where's that gym?

I went outside and gazed around. From my angle, nothing seemed to resemble the gym. Suddenly, I felt the urge that I was being very...foolhardy. I looked at a giant building standing before me, and began walking around it. The words on the building's front finally gave me my answer, and I realized I never once looked at it throughout the entire adventure through town. Well, you can guess how hard I facepalmed when I got to the front door.

I immediately walked in, and the sight before me was strangely breathtaking. The simple look to the battlefield was hardly beautiful. It wasn't even that cool looking. But what stole my breath wasn't looks, but the experience of seeing the inside of gym. After all, this really was my first gym, and the memory of its layout would stay in my mind for a long time. The gym was mostly brown and covered in dirt, there were rocks and only a few people in the gym, but it was an area to remember.

Unsure of where to begin, I talked to the first guy I saw. "Hiya!" he said optimistically. "I can tell you have what it takes to become a Pokémon champ!" Hearing this man's positive made me realize that he was probably nicest guy I've met since Mom…and Mom is pretty hard to compete with in that regard. I felt like getting new allies was going to be important if I wanted to become the champ, so I wanted to make a good first impression with the guy.

"I'm no trainer, but I can tell you how to win!" I was too stunned to believe it, but being a kid, I hung to every word. "Let me take you to the top!"

"Sure! I'll gladly take any help!"

"All right! Let's get happening!" Um, don't pretend to be gangster please. "The first Pokémon out in a match is at the top of the Pokémon list! By changing the order of Pokémon, matches could be made easier!"

I stood there for a few second before I asked, "Um…I already knew that. Don't you have any better advice?"

"Uh," he whispered. Clearly he wasn't as good as he made himself sound. "It's a free service!" His response didn't give me any confidence. "Look, I just got here, okay? I'm a gym caretaker, and I want to do whatever it takes to help new trainers along. I already had one jerk tear me a new one yesterday, I don't need more stress."

"Blue," was all I could say.

"Yes, him." Evidently he had issues with Blue too. "Look, I promise I'll do whatever I can to help you for the rest of your journey, I promise."

"Alright, I've got nothing to lose I guess," I said with a sigh. "Partners?"

"Partners," he said back. "I'm Jim Gai, by the way."

"Red." With a tip of my hat, that was that. I had a gym to beat, after all.

I saw one boy inside, and he looked about my age. Perhaps he's another challenger? I walked in front of him to get his attention, but he surprised me completely; he was an obstacle to overcome, a test before the leader, a Gym Trainer.

"Stop right there, kid!" Kid? I may be a kid, but I'm sure I'm older than you. "You're still light years from facing Brock!"

There were two possibilities going through my mind as I fought Camper Liam's Diglett: either he hasn't learned light years measure distance, not time; or, I really would need that space shuttle in the museum to fight Brock. Whichever it was, this junior trainer obviously liked the museum's space section more than me. But his Diglett and Sandshrew were no match for me. Well, maybe a little.

"Darn! Light years isn't time! It measures distance!" Um…and you forgot? "You're pretty hot," Uh… "But not as hot as Brock!" Okay, this kid was weirding me out. I hurried out of there and went to go heal my Pokémon.

I also decided to do some training south of the city, and caught a Pidgey while I was there. Honestly, I was kind of avoiding it, since I didn't want to resemble Blue at all, but I figured I may need the firepower for Brock. Besides, I needed Pidgey if I wanted to get full Pokédex completion and all that good stuff that would come with completing it. Assuming there is a reward for finishing it...

And then, as I wandered through Viridian Forest for training, something strange happened. I found a Caterpie (and named it Handlebar), and managed to catch it with ease, but then the ball disappeared with a flash of light! I was so shocked that I barely heard the Pokédex trying to talk to me. I pulled it out, and the Pokédex said something about the Pokémon getting transported to someone's PC. I didn't really understand what it meant, so now I was worried I just got robbed, or maybe even my Pokémon disintegrated!

Unsure of what to do, I grabbed my phone and called Professor Oak. Unfortunately, he wasn't answering; of all the times to not be available... I took a deep breath and relaxed myself. I figured if the Pokédex was being casual about it, Handlebar wouldn't be in any real danger, so I decided I needed to calm down for the time being. I decided that I'd ask Professor Oak about it later; he created the Pokédex after all, so he must know something. In the meantime, I figured I should check to see if the east had anything good to fight against to pass that time, when I ran into some guy.

"You're a trainer right?" I nodded. "Brock's looking for new challengers!"

"Um, I know, that's why I'm going east to tr-"

"Follow me!" With no choice, he dragged me across the town. I tried to tell him to stop, but he was too peppy and lead me back to the other side of town. What's with people dragging you across this town? I figured since he was bringing me back to the gym again, I might as well just beat Brock now; I was pretty sure my team was ready anyway.

Once we arrived, he turned back toward me and said, "If you have the right stuff, go take on Brock!" And if you don't have the right stuff and want to train, forget it, you're fighting Brock anyway.

He left thankfully, so I went back in the gym to finish what I started. I walked to the back of the arena, where Brock was standing tall. I had seen him back there several times, but I didn't want to go back there until I was ready. It was time, at last, to meet Brock.

"I'm Brock! I'm Pewter's Gym Leader!" he proudly boasted. "I believe in rock hard defense and determination! That's why my Pokémon are all the Rock type!" Wait, what? Oh no…

"Do you still want to challenge me?" I should have said no. I should have looked for more Pokémon, like Water types. None of my team had an advantage over Brock, and if I wasn't careful I'd be pulverized. Yet, there was a part of me, burning with passion, and desiring to prove myself. Instead of backing away, I just nodded and prayed that I wasn't making a mistake. "Fine then! Show me your best!"

With all my Pokémon in danger of so much pain from the hard hitting Rock types, I knew this was going to be a risky battle. But I had to do it. I had to win.

"Go! Geodude!" And with a mere toss, I gazed upon my first Rock type. A floating rock with arms and a face...I'm not sure if I want to see more Rock types.

I took a deep breathe and with all the bravery I could muster, sent out Rattata. "Go! Rattata!" Yeah, broken record, I know, but I needed to psych myself up somehow. This was a Gym Leader, after all, and my first real challenge.

It didn't help that Brock had that smug look on his face as he gazed at my mouse. "That won't do much damage, you realize?"

"Oh, just you wait and see, Brock!" I said with as much confidence as I could muster. Something tells me he wasn't convinced. "Rattata, Quick Attack!"

With unbelievable speed, she dashed and swiped at the rock, but a move like that...it's not very effective... That's when I realized this was going to be a long fight.

Brock still had to call his attack too. "Tackle!" That attack really hurt Rattata, a lot more than I had expected! My typical strategy of attack until victorious wasn't going to work. Unfortunately, it was time to get desperate; desperate times call for desperate measures, they say.

"Tail Whip!" My only hope now was to lower his Geodude's defense as much as possible so someone else could beat it. A barrage of Tackles from Geodude, however, made sure that my strategy wouldn't work for too long. Still, for every Tackle Geodude did, Rattata did Tail Whip, so I was at least weakening the floating rock in some way.

And then he did Defense Curl. Geodude restoring defense, even if only a little bit, did not help me...at all. Rattata managed one last Tail Whip before Geodude Tackled my pal into defeat, leaving me in a really tight spot. I gazed at my team, and tried to think of some strategy, some way to get an advantage on Brock. I then remembered one of my newest team members.

Pidgey erupted onto the scene. I decided to take a chance with Pidgey and his Sand Attack, but Brock ordered another Defense Curl to undo all of Rattata's efforts. This kept going on and on, Geodude boosting his defense as I had Pidgey blind the giant rock. But my Sand Attacks paid off, and when Brock called for a Tackle, Geodude flew off in a totally random direction!

Pidgey's other attacks weren't going to be any help now, so I needed someone that could fight back. It was time for NidoranF to take her turn! "Come on, girl, beat this rock to pebbles!" That was lame…

At least the Sand Attack barrage Pidgey unleashed was really paying off, but so were those Defense Curls Geodude had been doing. NidoranF went on the offense, and the blindness kept Geodude from doing any real damage. It took a lot of work, but finally we were toe to toe! At least, until Geodude landed a Tackle and beat NidoranF... Man, even with near blindness, I wasn't doing well enough. Still, Geodude's health points were low; a good attack could finish it off.

So I sent Pidgey out again, and at first I saw Brock give that smug smirk again, but only long enough to watch it fade and finally die as I said "Pidgey! Gust!" and watched as the floating rock fell to the floor in defeat!

"Yes!" I shouted, so happy to finally beat the annoying rock. It was an incredible risk, but with Geodude left blind and Pidgey having higher speed, I felt it was worth it.

"Don't celebrate yet," Brock warned. "Geodude was the warm-up, and Onix will be the closer." Onix, that was a name that sounded familiar.

Brock picked up a ball and threw it to the ground. As the ball cracked open and released a giant rock snake, I immediately remembered what an Onix was. "Oh, you have one of those. Shoot..." I had read about Onix before, and seeing one up close was almost terrifying.

I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself; I had to think carefully. Pidgey's Sand Attack is going to be necessary, but one hit from that beast and my bird is done for. So if I was going to have any hope of winning, I needed to be faster.

"Pidgey! Enough! Come back!" The little bird was enveloped in light and zoomed back to the ball. "Go! Kakuna!" Brock looked for a moment before he began to laugh.

"You really aren't ready for this challenge, are you?" He responded. He could tell my face was getting angry, and rightfully so. "Don't take this as an insult, take it as advice. You're fighting an uphill battle, and I admire your efforts. The boy here last just spammed Bubble, but you, you are using strategy. While very smart, unless you have something up your sleeve, do you really think you can win?"

It made me mad to think about, but I had to realize Brock was helping me. "Okay." I took another deep breath before continuing. "Thank you Brock, I know you're trying to help. But believe me, you will lose, right here, right now!"

He smiled confidently, but only had one word to say. "Screech!" Onix opened its mouth and released the most annoying sound I've ever heard. Kakuna clearly felt the same way as it cringed.

"Kakuna!" I shouted over the ringing in my ears, "String Shot!" Kakuna shook itself, which I guess helped it out, and sprayed silk from…wherever its mouth would be I guess, and tied up Onix. The silk was too annoying for Onix to deal with, so it was forced to slow down as it inanely tried to untie itself.

"Forget that!" Brock shouted. "Use Bide!" What in the world was Bide? Well, whatever it is, I need to hold to my strategy.

"String Shot!" Brock was getting mad. I'm guessing Bide was supposed to be something good, but my use of String Shot must have kept it from working!

At last, Onix was buried in silk, so I switched to Pidgey. Now for the accuracy! Onix attempted a Screech, and so Pidgey shared in the pain, but with a barrage of Sand Attacks, Screech wouldn't matter much.

Now, one last stat to take down! "Go! NidoranM! Leer!" Right as he got out, he heard my order, and stared at the Onix with menace in his eyes. No matter how hard Brock could try, he'd never win this fight now!

Weak defense, weak accuracy, weak speed, and only one more Pokémon left who needed to see some action. "Go! Charmander!" I bellowed as soon as NidoranM returned. Brock was seething with anger.

Charmander took every chance to attack, until he used Bide. Since Bide seemed to fail when I used a non-offensive move, I switched to Growl, and my clever thinking clearly paid off! This was a sure-fire win! Now with weak attack, Brock realized he had been beat, so took no surprise when I landed the final Scratch!

Onix fell to the floor with a huge thud, and with that, I was the winner! "I took you for granted." Brock merely said as Onix zapped back into the Poké Ball. "As proof of your victory, here's the Boulder Badge!"

I took it in my hand, my eyes glazed over with joy. "That's an official Pokémon League Badge! Its bearer's Pokémon become more powerful! The technique Flash can now be used any time!" The what?

Before I could say a word, Brock added, "Wait! Take this with you!" It was a strange device, something called a TM. "A TM contains a technique that can be taught to Pokémon! A TM is good only once! So when you use one to teach a new technique, pick the Pokémon carefully!" I nodded, hanging on every word.

"TM34 contains Bide! Your Pokémon will absorb damage in battle then pay it back double!" So that's why it didn't work when Brock used it! "There are all kinds of trainers in the world! You appear to be very gifted as a Pokémon trainer! Go to the gym in Cerulean and test your abilities!"

I nodded with a big smile on my face and thanked him with a handshake. I turned around and decided to brag a bit to Jim. I figured we were partners, after all. Jim just got up from marking the statue next to him and beamed at me. "Just as I thought! You're Pokémon champ material!"

"What's with the statue?" I asked.

"Oh," he responded. "Well, whenever someone beats Brock, their name is marked there. A lot of trainers have come through, so there's quite a few winners. As caretaker, I write them down. And fix up the gyms too," he added with a disgruntled sigh.

Sure enough, the statue had lots of names on it, under the title "Winning Trainers:", but only the last two caught my eye: Blue and Red. Blue did win, and he must have been way ahead too.

Victory had given me renewed vigor. I had to defeat Blue now, and I couldn't let him stay ahead! There was no sense in staying here. "Thanks Mr. Gai, I'll be heading to the next gym now."

"Awesome! Don't you worry, I'll see you there!" Hmm, okay. With a wave, I was gone. It was back to the journey! As soon as I healed my amazing team members, of course...

As soon as I got my Pokémon back from the Pokémon Center nurse, I turned to leave, but I overheard someone shouting. "What?!" the man in the corner said.

I walked over, part of me wondering if he was an Oak. "Team Rocket is at Mt. Moon?" Team Rocket? That sounds familiar. "Huh?" he said, finally noticing me staring. "I'm on the phone! Scram!"

Well, he may not be an Oak, but he's a jerk; and a loud one too. I'm sensing a correlation. Still, as I left Pewter City, his words had a haunting feeling. Team Rocket, if I remember right, was the biggest criminal organization in Kanto; possibly all of Japan. And according to the Town Map, they'll be right in my path. That was great, just great; I knew I had better be careful then.

On the outskirts of Pewter, where the dragger once stood, now stood a scientist. "Oh, Red!" He hollered to me. He recognized me right away, and it took me a moment to realize he was one of Professor Oak's aides. "I'm glad I caught up to you. I'm Professor Oak's aide." That's a little uncouth, isn't it? He does have more than one; you're not the only one. "I've been asked to deliver this, so here you go."

Strangely he didn't have much enthusiasm as he handed me box, containing shoes. But he clearly wanted me to put them on, so I did. I was about to ask him what the deal was with them, but he said, "Well, I must be going back to the lab. Bye-bye!" Apparently being a delivery boy was not his favorite job.

I was about to throw the box away when I noticed that there was a letter attached. "Dear Red, Here is a pair of Running Shoes for my beloved challenger. Remember, I'll always cheer for you! Don't ever give up! From Mom." Aww, Mom rocks!

According to the commercials, Running Shoes were the best shoes available, withstanding almost anything and having a lot of cushion and comfort. These were going to make running through Kanto a whole lot easier!

With some new shoes, I threw my old pair into the box and into my digitizing backpack for storage. I went onward to Route 3, at last, ready to take on some new challenges!

What to say about Route 3? Well, on the bright side, Kakuna evolved into Beedrill! I'm not a fan of bugs, but if Beedrill proves his worth, then I'll be a fan of him. On the odd side, we ran into Bug Catcher Colton, someone we met from Viridian Forest apparently. And on the less exciting side, we went and fought everyone on Route 3. Nothing left to report on the trainers there aside from a Youngster chewing me out for not wearing shorts. And on the informative side, I met a Youngster named Ben, and he finally told me what happened to Handlebar.

Apparently the League initiated a box system to prevent trainers from overloading their teams with Pokémon, so Handlebar was sent away to a digital storage system. It was a disappointment to not be able to raise the Caterpie right now, but at least now I had less reason to worry about my little Pokémon. I vowed that as soon as I got to the next Pokémon Center, I'd check up on her in the PC.

However, I nearly didn't make it there. As I was walking by, a girl yells at me, thinking I touched her when I was no where near her! Thinking of me as some pervert, she sent her Pokémon to fight! And it was a Jigglypuff! Thankfully I covered my ears in time, but Beedrill wasn't so lucky. Still, we eventually managed to beat down her puffball.

As if all these encounters with the balloon Pokémon weren't enough, my trek to the end of the route led me to find and catch a Spearow...and a Jigglypuff. After the trouble I keep getting with that pink Pokémon, you can bet I left that thing in the digital storage box. Nevertheless, night came sooner than I expected, so I figured I better rest for the night before I trek into Mt. Moon.

"We hope to see you again!" the third nurse I've met responded. It must be a motto of Pokémon Centers or something. I asked for a place to sleep, but the nurse sadly pointed out that the only place I could go was on the floor. Well, I knew I was going to be roughing it eventually; at least for now I was indoors.

I decided my last action for the night was to use the free Personal Computer provided by the Pokémon Center. This sounds kind of weird when you use abbreviations. As I looked over my three computer buddies, Handlebar the Caterpie, Kirby the Jigglypuff, and Spearow, I overheard a man reading a newspaper say, "Team Rocket attacks Cerulean citizens." He sighed before he said to himself, "Team Rocket is always in the news!" There was good news and bad news to this. The bad news was obvious, the good news was selfish: if Team Rocket was in Cerulean, chances were likely they left Mt. Moon. Right?

People say that Clefairy, the residents of Mt. Moon, came from the moon some time after Moon Stones fell on Mt. Moon. I can't say I believe that; really, Pokémon from space? Although I guess there are crazier things in this world. Still, exploring Mt. Moon was not an experience I was looking forward to, despite the possible aliens inside. So when I got woke up early by an annoying bald guy, you can tell I wasn't looking forward to the day.

"Hello there, laddie! Have I got a deal just for you! I'll let you have a swell Magikarp for just 500 Pokédollars! What do you say?" I should have shooed him away, said that I was trying to sleep, but my kind nature prevented me from lashing out. Nevertheless, I tried to object to his loud comments, but he was relentless. "I'll let you have a secret Pokémon – a Magikarp – for just 1000 of your Pokédollars!"

"Didn't you say 500 before?"

"Uh, yes, of course, slip of the tongue, laddie!" Right... "So, you'll buy it, am I right?"

"No thanks, sir," I said, trying to get comfortable again.

"No? You say no? I'm only doing this as a favor to you!" Oh gosh, why me?

I looked at my Trainer Card, and I had enough money to burn, so I decided to make him a deal. "Look, if I buy the thing, will you leave me alone so I can sleep?"

"Of course, of course!" Sheesh. I had to sigh to show my disdain, but he didn't seem to notice. Either way, I bought the fish he so desperately wanted me to buy. I laid back down and was about to fall asleep, but the man had one more phrase to add as he walked away. "Well, I don't give refunds!" My day was failing right as it began.

Frustrated and grumpy, I went outside and looked at the rock wall before me. It was like a natural fortress, and yet it was not so intimidating with all these people walking around. If anything it was the inside I had reservations about. I was worried Mt. Moon's inside would be covered in shadows, ominous and dingy like a dark cave would normally be. However, I was surprised: there were many shiny rocks in the ceiling, providing enough light to make it through without it ever getting too dark.

There were a lot of trainers inside, but some of them were spooked by "suspicious men." Of course, anyone who pays attention to the news (which isn't usually me, but that's beside the point) could guess it was Team Rocket. Still, if Blue got through the cave, and hopefully he did, then so must I! In any case, my travels through the cave gave me a Zubat named Batty, a Geodude named Ninety, and a Paras. Named Paras. Creative, I know.

Everything was going well, so I was really beginning to cheer up. Until I met a suspicious man. "We, Team Rocket, are Pokémon gangsters!" This is bad, isn't it?

The grunt didn't waste a second, throwing down his first Pokémon, a Sandshrew. I was really freaked out. I was face to face with a criminal, and I didn't know what he'd be capable of! Still, I had to relax. He may be a gangster, but this is just another challenge. No matter how big and scary he was, I knew that my Pokémon, if they won, would be much scarier. So then winning is the only option.

"Go! NidoranM! He was still tired from the fight with my Geodude Ninety, but he would be a good start. Until Sandshrew Scratched it. He may have fainted easily, but vengeance can be a good motivator, and losing your lover can definitely cause vengeance. "Go! NidoranF!" Unfortunately, vengeance and love can blind loyalty, and it led to NidoranF growling in anger instead of attacking.

Still, I regained control, and the two Pokémon dashed at each other with an onslaught of Scratches. It took everything she had, but a last minute Sand Attack blinded her, allowing Sandshrew to take down a second Pokémon. "Hahahaha!" the Rocket laughed. "You know, I was going to steal your Pokémon, but if they're gonna die so easily, why should I bother?! After all, we strike fear with our strength!"

That smirk drove me into a rage I couldn't comprehend. Was it the insult to me? To my Pokémon? Or the threat? Whatever it was, I had no sentiments left for the scumbag. "The enemy's weak! Get'm! Charmander!" I didn't care if he was weak to Ground types, I just wanted to shut this jerk up. "Ember!"

Overkill is what I like to call it when my Pokémon use more power than necessary. Usually it's by accident, like a critical hit striking when you don't need it, but this was personal now, so I was willing to let my policy against overkill slide. So I had Charmander pound his Rattata and Zubat with Ember, over and over, until they fainted. The Rocket's eye got bigger and bigger as each Ember landed. The fear I felt for this man was traded with his aggression. And when that Zubat fainted, when it was all over, the Rocket fell to his knees and screamed out "I blew it!"

And then it happened. Charmander was enveloped in a white light! He grew over a half a meter taller, a horn, and more muscular too. The light cleared, and he had become Charmeleon!

Needless to say, the Rocket was upset. "Darn it all! My associates won't stand for this!"

"Oh, believe me, if I run into them, they won't be standing much longer either." The man had nothing more to say, and just went in a corner, no hope for him unless his associates came. And you can bet they won't, not while I'm here.

I didn't know what was going on. I had calmed down, but my mind was set on finding every Rocket Grunt and taking them down. Part of me tried to talk me down, if just to protect myself. But there was something in me that wanted to find them all. They were a danger to everyone here, and I didn't want them to be harmed like my Nidorans.

Sure enough, the grunt wasn't lying. My travels through the cave, with most of my team fainting in the process, led me to another Rocket Grunt. "We're pulling a big job here! Get lost, kid!" Sorry, no chance. He could tell I wasn't going to leave, so he whipped out a Poké Ball and threw it to the ground, releasing a Zubat.

Now, my Beedrill was really tired, but I knew he could still lead me to victory. "Beedrill, attack with Fury Attack!" It may sound redundant, but in a way, that's where Fury Attack gets its strength: repeated blows to the opponent. And repeat the jabs he did!

At first I thought I was going to be fine, but then his Zubat did something totally new to me: Supersonic! Somehow it confused Beedrill, and worse, it hurt himself in its confusion! I finally had to admit, this cave had pushed me and my Pokémon to the edge, and now this Rocket attempted to push us off!

Luckily, Beedrill seemed to snap out of his confusion, so I had him attack with Fury Attack again, but Zubat had done more damage than I could count on. And to make it worse, the Rocket sent another Supersonic my way! I wouldn't risk my Beedrill any longer, so I sent out Charmeleon.

"Supersonic!" the grunt yelled with malice and joy in his voice. Shoot, it hit! Thankfully the confusion didn't last long, but the damage was done, and Charmeleon was clearly ready to rest. Charmeleon snapped out of it and Zubat was taken down easily after that, but with only two Pokémon, my journey through the rest of the cave was going to be really rough now.

The fight wasn't over yet, but my powerhouse still had a few tricks left! As an Ekans slithered before use, I worried about what it could do, but I had Charmeleon led off with Ember, and something amazing happened: the enemy Ekans was burned! From my days with Professor Oak's class, we learned that burns were just like being poisoned, only harder to pull off. Well thankfully I did!

The grunt was fuming, so he sent Ekans to use Wrap, leaving my Pokémon in a tight spot. No pun intended. Okay, maybe a little, but I need to unload my tension from the last Rocket somehow. Beating another grunt is also perfect therapy, I'll tell you that. Charmeleon ended Ekans pretty easily, and left the Rocket humiliated in defeat.

"So, you are good." I had to smirk at this. And, as modest as I can be, I have to agree. "If you find a fossil, give it to me and scram!" Seriously? I just turned and left, leaving him to dig at a wall in a desperate attempt to find a dead Pokémon.

As I walked away, I looked at my team, I could tell I needed to get them healed. But since it was very unlikely I'd find a healer inside the cave, I decided I needed to look in my bag for a solution: the mysterious Escape Rope. A device created by Silph Co., as I recall. As the slogan goes, "When you're in a bind, unbind an Escape Rope!" Man, we kids really can be easily impressionable. I had hoped to go as long as possible without it, but I knew there were more trainers and Rockets, and I knew it was a bad idea to trudge onward without healing, so I gave in and used the rope.

The rope suddenly launched forward, and in some sort of whirling motion, I felt myself being pulled away! I couldn't tell if I was being teleported, or if I was just getting dragged, but I ended up in front of the Pokémon Center, dizzy and confused. I went inside and healed up my team. I was unsure what to do, so I asked the nurse what she knew about the Rockets, and if the police were coming. Sadly, she had no idea, and recommended I avoid them at all cost. I had a feeling that wasn't going to be possible.

Reentering Mt. Moon after healing wasn't fun either. I really dixn't want to deal with this cave anymore, not when it has hurt my Pokémon, and my pride. I suppose all the rumors were true, and Mt. Moon really does wear you down. Still, I knew I'd get through it, no matter how hard it would be. Unfortunately, Rattata and the Nidorans weren't so lucky, as more wild Pokémon managed to take them down and faint them. It felt like no matter what I did, my team was going to be running low on strength.

As I climbed down another ladder, I had a feeling I was getting close to the end of this cave. I wasn't sure what gave me such a good vibe, but it was good to have hope. There were two Rockets digging ahead, one of which I already beat. This cave is so confusing sometimes.

It was also confusing why the Rockets were so obsessed with digging up fossils. I have to admit, I don't really see what's wrong with taking fossils, but I couldn't understand why the Rockets wanted them. Pewter City certainly wasn't going for them, just Brock and some old friend of his. Chances are the grunts wanted to use the fossils for something sinister, or for proceeds, or something they didn't deserve to have.

Either way, I was going to take the Rocket Grunt on. He saw me coming and walked over toward me, trying to be as menacing as possible. "Little kids should leave grown-ups alone!" Apparently the Rockets were able to communicate, and now this guy knew I was a threat.

Unfortunately, so was he. The Raticate he sent out truly looked burly, and with just one Tackle from it, I knew Pidgey was outclassed. "Pidgey come back!" Beedrill would hopefully have better luck, being an evolved Pokémon.

The good news was my attempt to poison the beast worked; the bad news was even Beedrill got beat down! I saved him in time, but now it was just Charmeleon to take on this giant rodent. "Ember!"

"Hyper Fang!" Hyper what?! The Raticate lunged at Charmeleon, but his newly found speed boost helped him dodge the attack and follow through with Ember. And the poison did the rest. "I'm steamed!" Good, that's what I like to hear! He sat on the ground and looked to me, as if he wanted to justify himself. "Pokémon lived here long before people came."

"So?"

"So it's our mission to find them and capture them!" I rolled my eyes. "Team Rocket wants three things: money, power, and glory!" Whatever, I have a cave to get through. I continued through the cave, and found another Rocket Grunt.

Another battle had begun. "We, Team Rocket will find the fossils! Reviving Pokémon from them will earn us huge riches!" Good luck finding them when you're defenseless with fainted Pokémon.

I gave Pidgey another chance to prove himself, but the grunt's Rattata was too fast and overwhelmed my Pidgey. I considered risking Beedrill in another battle, but he was weakened too, so I went with Charmeleon.

Needless to say, my pal beset the Grunt's Rattata and Zubat. When the Rocket's Zubat got burned, it was priceless; I nearly laughed out loud. But that burn is what won me the battle. "Urgh! Now I'm mad!" With the sound of that 'urgh,' you sound sick. Still, I turned to leave, but the Rocket really wanted to drill me, "You made me mad! Team Rocket will blacklist you!"

"Yeah, I'm really worried about that," I said confidently. But inside, I did have to admit, I was a little worried. What did that mean?

Nevertheless, I focused on what was in front of me, and as I walked through the cave some more, standing before me was a Super Nerd. Well, I guess one more trainer battle won't hurt too much.

"Hey, stop!" he yelled at me, even though I was about a foot away from him. "I found these fossils! They're both mine!"

Wait, so this guy thinks I'm a Rocket? "Dude, look, I'm not-"

"I summon you, Grimer, in attack mode!" Uh…okay, fine, we'll fight. Beedrill managed to hit the enemy five times with Fury Attack, but he truly proved himself in this fight. With just one HP left, he managed to dodge all over Grimer's attacks and beat the pile of purple goo.

"Grr, I'm not done yet!" he said as we returned our Pokémon. "I summon my Poké Ball, in defense mode!" Wait, what? And then the weirdest thing happened; his Poké Ball released a giant Poké Ball! I'm going to be spending a lot of thought on how that makes sense. A huge smirk emerged on his face; he knew he had me confused, and he didn't even need Supersonic!

"Charmeleon! Just…Ember the thing!" Clearly Charmeleon was confused too, but he obeyed and shot fire at the ball. The Pokémon (I guess that's what it is) was poorly trained, because it couldn't get off a single Screech as ordered.

"RAWR! My poor Voltorb!" Okay, now I'm scared. Seriously, this guy worries me more than all the Rockets so far. "That's it; I summon you, Koffing, in attack mode!" Yeah, this is it, alright. As I expected, Charmeleon pulverized the competition, and that was another victory to be proud of. The man, defeated, jumped onto his knees and began begging. "Okay! I'll share! We'll each take one! No being greedy!"

"Look dude, I'm not part of Team Rocket, I just want to get to Cerulean City."

He stared for a few seconds, letting his foolishness sink in. "Oh. Oops." Indeed. He stood up and faced me like a normal person. "Okay, well, I'm sorry. Still, I did beat your Pokémon really hard." Um...no you didn't? "So go ahead, you can have one, there's a lot more around here anyway." Well, no sense saying no to a gift!

There was two fossils sitting before me, and he would let me choose one. But without knowing what did what, it was a tough choice. To think I'd have such trouble choosing over a rock. In the end, I chose the Dome Fossil; it looked cooler to me. "All right," said the man known as Miguel. "Then this fossil is mine!"

I asked him what I should do with it, and thankfully he had an answer. "Far away, on Cinnabar Island, there's a Pokémon Lab. They do research on regenerating fossils." Well, if I ever head that way, I'll definitely take a look into that!

"Thank you, and good luck with your excavation," he nodded and went back to digging. As for me, my own joy soon hit me in the face. I rounded a corner and felt a breeze stroke my face. That must mean… "It's the exit!" I shouted with joy.

I ran to a ladder, and felt the breeze getting stronger. I climbed to the top, and saw yet another ladder, and a hole leading outside! Yes! I'm free! There were stars shining already, so I decided to give Mom a quick call while I took Route 4 to Cerulean City. I told her everything, even the stuff with Team Rocket. After all, someone had to get the Pewter City Police involved. You know, other than putting up a notice on the edge of town.

But she was glad I was safe, and I told her I'd call again soon. I could tell she was worried, but she was that sort of proud-worried. She's a good mom either way. Thankfully, Route 4 was very quiet, no trainers, just two guys arguing over whether punches or kicks were better. But aside from that, nothing could distract me. Because now, I finally arrived in Cerulean City.


	4. Chapter Four: Cerulean City

_**Chapter Four: Cerulean City**_

It was obvious this city was much bigger, and dare I say, better than Pewter. Of course, the first stop was the Pokémon Center. As my Pokémon got all their injuries healed, a man beside me asked me, "Have you heard about Bill?"

"No, who's he?"

"Everyone calls him a Poké Maniac!" Now, the class system of Kanto had an odd way to function. Most people grabbed onto a title that described themselves, almost like being a part of a club. Being a Poké Maniac, well, usually only the crazies entered that group. "I think people are just jealous of Bill, though. Who wouldn't want to boast about their Pokémon?"

True, I thought to myself as I left the center, but really, there was more to being a Poké Maniac than egos and lots of Pokémon. Hopefully this mysterious Bill wasn't another stereotype.

Either way, Cerulean had a lot of nice people: someone who was amused by my Pokédex journey (although he may just be a jerk), a Police Officer protecting a robbed house (apparently this is what Team Rocket was up to), a girl who wanted to get a red bike just so she could keep it at home (so it doesn't get dirty, of course), and the bike shop, owned by Miracle Cycle.

"Hi! Welcome to our Bike Shop," the man with sunglasses said the man behind the counter. "Have we got just the bike for you!" I always wanted a bike, but Mom always said it was too expensive. Well, now that I have some money to burn, a bike could be really helpful.

"Sure, whatcha got?"

"Well, my boy," the man said complacently. "What we've got here is the collapsible bicycle! It can fold up in a snap, and it lets you carry it anywhere, being lightweight and all!" He could tell I was hooked, so he pulled one out from right out of the counter. "It's a cool bike! Do you want it?"

"Yeah! How much?"

"1,000,000 Pokédollars!" You know, even the average salesman would be a little uncomfortable to say a price like that. But not this guy; he was practically proud of the price tag.

"Um…I've got 4,671 Pokédollars, isn't that good enough?" And that was a huge rip-off, by the way.

"Sorry! You can't afford it! Come back again some time!" Seriously? How in the world was he going to sell that thing at that price? My bad mood made me sleepy. Unfortunately, the Pokémon Center was packed again, so I had to sleep on the floor once more.

The next day, I traveled to the local gym. It was more like a giant swimming pool, but it still carried the signs of an official Pokémon Gym. Upon the pedestals up front, I saw a dejecting sight written on them. Winning Trainers: Blue. Shoot, I was right, Blue got ahead. Knowing him, he was probably on Route 5 or something by that point. Thankfully, Jim Gai was here at the next gym too. I had hopes Jim could cheer me up, regardless of however Jim beat me here.

"Yo! Champ in making!" I waved to him, and he nodded back at me. "Here's my advice!" Apparently he wanted to cut right to the chase. Good, so do I. "The leader, Misty, is a pro who uses Water Pokémon! You can drain all their water with plant Pokémon! Or, zap them with electricity!"

Shoot! Once again I'm at a disadvantage. And even worse, Charmeleon's going to have no chance of victory. Still, I'll just play smart, like I did with Brock. I went to the first Gym Trainer, knowing he'd be an indication of what I'd be up against.

"Splash!' Did he seriously say 'Splash?' "I'm first up! Let's do it!" Unfortunately, smart was not going to help me as much as I thought. Fighting that first Gym Trainer showed me that I'm vastly under-leveled, and if I want to beat Misty, I'd need more training. I managed to win the fight, but just barely.

I left the gym, afraid to look in Jim in the face, but I think he understood, and the look he gave me was almost encouraging. For now, I have to focus on the task at hand: training. Along the way, I ran into an Ekans. I decided to name it Snake. No pun can escape my wrath!

Still, I needed a break from Spearows and Ekanses, so I decided to head north and see what was up there. Bad idea.

"Yo! Red!" Should have known I'd see Blue again sooner or later. "You're still struggling along back here?" As insulting as it was, he was sadly right. I couldn't look him in the eyes. "I'm doing great! I caught a bunch of strong and smart Pokémon!" Show-off, I have strong and smart ones too! I was about to say so, but Blue wasn't one to let someone speak up. "Here let me see what you caught, Red!"

Yet another challenge? Fine, I've won so far, after all, and my buddies need the experience! "I choose you, Pidgeotto!"

"Go! Beedrill!" He started laughing, and if I didn't know better (and maybe I don't), so did Pidgeotto. "Grr, Beedrill, Fury Attack!"

"Quick Attack!" Wait, oh no! Beedrill landed the Fury Attack, but Pidgeotto was really fast, and that was going to be a problem. Beedrill was amazingly faster, but Pidgeotto was a threat regardless. I could have switched out, but I wanted to prove that my bug was a match for his bird.

"Fury Attack!" I shouted again. There was one chance of victory, and it all counted on those big spikes. He sent a Sand Attack in response, blinding his eyes, but Beedrill was persistent. "You can win, Beedrill!"

"Don't lose to that bug!" With one last stab, Beedrill sent Pidgeotto flying into the ground, and there was no getting up from that. "Dang! Don't celebrate yet, Red! I've got more up my sleeve! Deal with my almighty Abra!"

Abra? What in the world is that? Whatever it is, I should let my others have fun anyway. "Beedrill enough! Come back!" Beedrill zoomed back inside his Poké Ball. "Go! Rattata!"

Blue took a look at my mouse and looked to his Pokégear. I figured he was thinking up a strategy, but his face fell, as though he wasn't prepared or something. Sorry Blue, but I won't give you the chance! "Hyper Fang!"

"Teleport," he said in disappointment. Abra vanished for a moment, only to return a few meters away. Sure, I may have had a look of confusion, but so did Abra. He looked to Blue, as if expecting him to do something. Rattata however didn't care and ran in for the bite.

"He didn't last long," I said with a smirk. For once, I was being the assertive one.

"Unfortunately," he began to answer, "As powerful as Abra is, all he can do is Teleport right now. And since I have to be holding him to go to a Pokémon Center, he can't go anywhere far." Blue could tell I was very satisfied. "Don't get cocky! I still have Rattata!"

He reached for his ball, so I decided to let our rats fight it out. Mine was stronger, but would that be enough? "Hyper Fang!" we both shouted. Both took a ton of damage, but mine was still standing strong, while Blue's was ready to collapse. I figured a Tackle would be enough to win, but his Pokémon dodged and used a Tail Whip. Blue didn't look too hopeful, so I decided to just end it with another Tackle.

"That's it! You want my best? Well so be it! I choose you, Squirtle!" Maybe it was the level-grinding getting to me, or the sun, or just our life-long rivalry, but I decided to give Charmeleon a shot. Blue was stunned at my choice, but didn't mock me for it. He was getting serious now.

It was my Scratch versus his Water Gun. Even though I landed a critical hit, Charmeleon wouldn't last against Squirtle's Water-type attacks. But then Blue tried something different. He wanted a one-hit (or two-hit in this case) knock out, so he began using Tail Whip.

Huge mistake. "Charmeleon, Scratch as much as you can!" Squirtle didn't stand a chance. Blue realized his mistake and order a Water Gun, but Charmeleon secured victory first! Once again, I defeated Blue!

"Hey! Take it easy! You won already!" He returned his Squirtle, ashamed that he was being outclassed in battle.

In desperation, he changed the subject. "Hey, guess what? I went to Bill's and got him to show me his rare Pokémon! That added a lot of pages to my Pokédex!" Bill has rare Pokémon? Maybe I could use those to expand my Pokédex too! "After all, Bill's world famous as a Pokémaniac!" Well, if Blue could stand him, maybe he wouldn't fit the stereotype.

Blue was being very chatty, which made it harder for all my thoughts on the matter sink in. "He invented the Pokémon Storage System on PC! Since you're using his system, go thank him!" So he's the one who has been getting my extra Pokémon. I may not always like Blue, but if he was nice enough to thank Bill, then I definitely had to too. "Well, I better get rolling! Smell ya later!" Okay, not that nice.

"Oh, yeah, right," he added as we parted ways. "I feel sorry for you." Oh, please, just go away. "No, really. You're always plodding behind me." Interesting word choice, but I figured that out already. "So here, I'll give you a little present as a favor."

I obtained the Fame Checker? "Um, thank you? What is it?"

He shrugged; undoubtedly, he was just throwing his trash away onto me. "A chatty gossip like you…That thing's perfect. I don't need it because I don't give a hoot about others." Well, that's definitely true. "All right, this time I really am gone. Smell ya!"

Whatever, let's just get back to training. Route 24 was yet another path off the beaten trail, but I figured it would be a good place to train. Standing before me was the Nugget Bridge. It really wasn't much of a bridge, only if the land under it got flooded, but still, at least it looked shiny.

I saw some trainers up ahead, so I decided to take them on. "This is Nugget Bridge! Beat us five trainers and win a fabulous prize! Think you got what it takes?"

"You bet, let's do this." And…it wasn't much of a fight. The Bug Catcher sent his Pokémon, and my Beedrill took care of them all easily.

"Whoo! Good stuff! I did my best, I have no regrets!" Well that's good I guess, but hopefully the next girl is more challenging.

"I'm second! Now it's serious!" Awesome, that's what I want to hear! This time, NidoranM will take her on. And, well, she lost too, but not so quickly.

"How could I lose?" I was about to answer her, console her, but she just said, "I did my best, I have no regrets!" Um…okay, I'm just gonna move on now.

"Here's number three! I won't be easy!" He was easy. He also had no regrets, since he did his best.

"I'm number four!" the next girl shouted. "Getting tired?" More like bored. Besides, you're supposed ask my Pokémon that, not me. But after another quick battle, she merely said, "I did my best, so I've no regrets!" Can't even get the line right? This isn't a very official contest, is it?

"Okay! I'm number five! I'll stomp you!" Not with Charmeleon taking his turn for experience, a smirk lighting up my face. I'll admit, when his Mankey gave me a critical hit, I worried. But Charmeleon pulled it off like the true blue…red, Pokémon he is. "Whoa! Too much!" Obviously he was amazed. "I did my best, I have no regrets!" Right…let's just claim our prize.

I walked up to the man ahead of us, and he seemed overly happy to see me as the victor. "Congratulations! You beat our five contest trainers! You just earned a fabulous prize!" I received a nugget! Talk about valuable, a rock of pure gold that fit right in my hand.

"Thanks, sir!" Definitely worth the effort. I prepared to turn away, but then he said one of the worst things he could have said to me.

"By the way," he said, causing me to turn to face him again. "Would you like to join Team Rocket?"

I was so speechless, so all I could respond with was "What?" He mistook my remark as curiosity rather than absolute shock.

"We're a group dedicated to evil using Pokémon! Want to join?"

"Are you serious? Not a chance!"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!"

"Come on, join us!"

"No!"

The evil in eyes burned with anger. "I'm telling you to join!"

But my passion and rage against Team Rocket still was strong. "Never!"

And then, as fast as his anger appeared, it disappeared. He got happy all of a sudden and said, "Okay, you need convincing! I'll make you an offer you can't refuse!"

All of a sudden, he tore away his shirt and pants to reveal a Rocket uniform underneath it all. He grabbed his hat from in a bush and put it on, completing the picture. "You're ours, kid. Whether you want to be or not." Before I could say a word, he threw down his Poké Ball, revealing an Ekans.

I smiled, because I knew that the snake wouldn't stand a chance. "Go! Charmeleon!" The reptiles stared each other down before we finally ordered our moves. "Ember!"

"Poison Sting!" Numerous purple needles fired from Ekans' mouth and slammed into a charging Charmeleon. As painful as it was, Chamerleon opened its mouth directly in front of Ekans! Ember was superior to the weak Poison Sting, and I could tell Charmeleon could beat this grunt all by himself.

"Ember again!" Ekans attempted to dodge, but fainted before he could receive another order. The grunt growled in anger as he unsnapped his second Poké Ball from his waist belt.

"Zubat, finish him!" He almost looked confident, and once he sent off a Supersonic, I was afraid he had good reason to be.

"Come on buddy, one more hit! You can do it!" Despite the confusion, my plea was enough to break through and convince Charmeleon to attack Zubat.

If the bat had eyes, they'd be wide in fear. After all, the grunt's eyes were. Zubat fell to the ground, defeated. "Arrgh! You are good! With your ability, you could become a top leader in Team Rocket! Come on, think of the opportunity! Don't let this chance go to waste."

"No thank you," I responded. "I'm done with you, and I am done with your gang. I stressed out over you all long enough. I'm done." I couldn't tell if the Rocket responded with a clever comeback or a worthless threat; none of his words reached my ears. I walked on, looking to finish my training.

The sun was beginning to set, and the way the light landed on the mountainside in front of me was quite nice to see. The calm and serenity was very nice, but as the saying goes, a bad day always goes worse.

Okay, maybe it's not a saying, but hearing what sounded almost like a gunshot rang out. At first I thought it was the Rocket coming for revenge, but I soon saw the cause. Near the corner of the mountainside stood three sights: a Charmander, its trainer, and a whip. Of course, the foolish hero that I am, I ran in trying to save the day, shouting to grab the trainer's attention, saving the poor Pokémon from another pelting in the process.

I finally came up panting. "Dude, what are you doing?!" He looked at me with surprise. He had to be about 13, and it looked like he only had one Pokémon.

"Training my Pokémon. Duh. Who are you, kid?"

Normally I wasn't one to flash my name around, but I figured I'd sound more impressive, and since I needed to show this jerk up, I might as well fight fire with fire. "I'm Red from Pallet Town. Who are you?"

The kid had a cocky smirk and answered, "I'm Damian, and I'm training to become Champion of the Pokémon League!"

"By torturing your Pokémon?! What on Earth made you think that was a good idea?!"

"Pfft, you kids and your level-grinding. If you had any brains, you'd look at the real pros: Team Rocket!" Oh gosh no… "Think about it, kid. They keep the police on the ropes, they commit tons of crimes, and they treat their Pokémon like crap! I'm just playing smart."

"No, you're playing like a jerk!" I probably looked like a little idiot to this punk, but I would stand up for this poor Charmander, just like any Pokémon being abused.

At first he wore a doleful look, as if he was repentant, but he covered it up for bravado."Look brat, what makes you think you're so great? The power of friendship? Forget it. Pokémon and people are separate things. We're not meant to be friends."

"You're wrong, and if you paid attention to the real trainers, like the Gym Leaders, you'd know."

He seemed to sit there for a moment, taking all I said in. "Hmm…kid, you ever face a Gym Leader?"

"Um, yeah. I beat Brock a few days back." I was unsure where he was going with this, but he smiled when he heard of my success story.

"Tell you what. Let's battle. One on one fight. You beat my Charmander, I'll listen to your crappy advice," I wasn't sure what else I could do, but maybe a battle would convince him torture was wrong. "But, if I win, you give your badge."

"What? But," I tried to say in reaction, but I realized, why am I worried? All I need to worry about is if I hurt that poor Pokémon too much. "Fine, let's do this." I saw the Charmander cower a little, and sadly, Damian saw too.

"No fear!" he shouted, and before I could stop him, he whipped Charmander again, causing it to cry out in pain. I wanted to close my eyes. I'm only 10; I'm too young to be seeing this. But I had to be respectful to Charmander, and I had to protect it from further harm. "And don't you hold back either!" he pointed to me. "My Charmander won't stop fighting you until it wins...if it knows what's good for it."

"Enough! Let's just fight already," I said to the monster. Charmander came over, and after taking a deep breath, the Pokémon tried to intimidate me, just like his master. "Don't you worry, Charmander, this will be over soon." I swear I was sure I saw Charmander flashed a hopeful smile for a second before returning to its menacing stare.

"Go! Charmeleon!"

"What?! You have a Charmeleon?!"

"It pays to treat your Pokémon with respect and kindness," I retaliated. He was incredibly angry, and looked like he wanted to hit his Pokémon for its weakness, but I think he was smart enough to know that was a bad idea when you need every HP you can get.

"Alright, you dumb lizard, attack with Ember!" Worried about the Pokémon, I decided to play it safer.

"Dodge and Growl!" Again and again this went on, weakening his attack more and more. Not every Growl worked, but every single Ember missed, something I didn't think possible.

Unfortunately, Damian soon realized I was only protecting the Charmander from harm, so he decided he'd cause it for me. "Don't you dare hold back from me!" he yelled as the whip sliced the back of Charmander.

It was so painful to watch; I could tell how badly Charmeleon felt for one of his brethren. "Fine! I'm sorry, but we need to end this, before he can cause anymore harm." And what better way to show that my Charmeleon was superior, that friendship was better than pain, and that even the weak could be strong, than to use my newest attack, something I had been waiting the right moment for.

"Charmeleon! Metal Claw!" Damian's eyes nearly popped out as he saw my Pokémon's hand glow with a silver light. "Damian, do you see this? This is what happens when you treat your Pokémon with love and respect. They trust in you, and you trust in them. They fight with you, they win with you. We're not two separate beings, but one united force! Now go, show him how powerful we truly are!"

Charmeleon nodded, inspired by my improvised speech, and charged, claws flowing behind him, and slid toward Charmander, swinging with his left claw. "YOU IDIOT! DODGE!" Charmander was terrified, but managed to duck under the first claw, but Charmeleon still had one left. With his ducked head, he saw as Charmeleon's right claw connected and sent Charmander soaring several meters into the air.

As soon as gravity took hold of the little salamander, Charmeleon went and caught the little guy, saving him from further harm. Damian sunk to his knees in defeat. "Do you see, Damian? Your methods failed, and now you become a shame to all trainers everywhere." He wouldn't say a word. For some reason, his silence only enraged me. I walked up to him and forced him to look me in the eyes. "You failed. You don't deserve this Pokémon."

He stood up, his face sullen and lifeless. "You're right." He's actually agreeing with me? "My friends always wondered why my Charmander hated me. I told them it was just a mean-spirited Pokémon. I've failed, and now, when I head home empty-handed, they'll all know I failed."

"Empty-handed?" It took me a moment to process what he meant, but as soon as I did, I had to set things straight. "No, I won't take Charmander as my own."

"But why? Look at what I've done! I don't deserve to own Charmander. For crying out loud, I've had him for months now, and getting him to level 10 was a lengthy development. I don't deserve him, and I can't take on a Pokémon if it takes all this work to make it a success."

Part of me wanted to be nice, to be sincere and ease the truth onto him. But that wouldn't be fitting, that wouldn't teach him a lesson. "You're right, you don't deserve Charmander. But someone else does. I don't know who, but he needs a home with someone who can love him. Maybe someday you can redeem yourself as a good person. But for now, if you want to prove you really are as great as you hope to be, you'll do the right thing."

Minutes seemed to pass as he thought it over. Charmeleon did what he could to make Charmander feel comfortable. "Call the Cerulean Police. Tell them to confiscate my Pokémon then." My message seemed to fall flat, but I understood: he had no one else to give his Pokémon away to. Sadly, Charmander really didn't have a home.

I watched Damian trudge away with the Cerulean Police as night fell. The Rocket Grunt, the doofus that he was, stuck around and, what's worse, tried to scam the police. Damian wouldn't be arrested, but Charmander would be taken away if he couldn't find a new home for it within a few days.

I decided to stay on Route 24 and make camp for once. I was too tired from all the stress to walk back and I needed to practice spending time in the wild. I let all six of my Pokémon out, and we all relaxed by an Ember-made fire. Charmeleon and Beedrill, being my top Pokémon, really got along well, and the Nidorans acted like little kids in love. It really was cute to see. Rattata, my little girl, laid by my feet, and Pidgey just watched the fire burn.

It truly was a calm night, and despite being outdoors, I felt so comfortable and free. Back during my lessons with Professor Oak, the textbooks he gave Blue, Yellow, Green, and I always said to let Pokémon rest in their balls for best results. But I decided I wanted them by my side. And as each one of them got close to me for the night, I could tell they all agreed.

But you know that feeling you get when the blinds open and light smacks your closed eyes? Strangely, I didn't feel it when the sun rose that morning. It was a beautiful morning, and I got up to enjoy the sight of it. Little did I know Rattata was sleeping on my chest, so she was flung off when I leaned up. She wasn't happy about that.

Still, the others all gave me a pleasant look of approval. Except Pidgey. "Where's Pidgey?" I asked, a bit of worry in my voice. The other five looked around, worried as I was, but Beedrill, who took to the sky, found him immediately and pointed him out to me. The dumb bird was eating berries off a tree. "Pidgey!" I yelled in an annoyed tone. He heard me and flew back.

"Look, I understand, you're hungry, but don't do that, you crazy bird." He nodded, so I breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay everyone, enough fretting for the day, okay? Let's go train; I want to beat Misty today!" They all nodded in approval. Did they know who Misty was or what?

Either way, I returned them all, began to check out Route 24, and really start to explore Route 25. Route 24 was a lot shorter than I hoped. I saw water, but sadly I never learned how to swim. Mom didn't know either, so I never really had anyone teach me. I managed to catch an Oddish, but that was about it.

But Route 25, boy oh boy, did I see some great results there. Aside from lots of experience gaining, Pidgey and NidoranM evolved at the same time! Not only do I have two great fighters, but I got them at once! I've decided that I want to go for three evolutions at once someday, a nice bragging point. And aside from my winning streak, I don't have much.

The trainers of Route 25 provided a good challenge, especially the Hikers. It seems that as long as I lack Water or Grass types, I'm going to be stuck at a disadvantage. I did catch an Oddish along the way, but she won't be much help. However, I'll put my faith in the little dudette for now.

Nevertheless, after a lot of level-grinding, I made it to a house just off the shore of Cerulean Cape. This must be Bill's place. Hopefully he won't mind if I barge in (most people don't, but still, common courtesy and all that).

As I entered, I realized that whoever Bill is, he sure has a strange home: two giant machines connected by a pipe, a computer with a strange program on it, and a Clefairy, but no one else. I was about to leave, when the most unexpected thing happened.

"Hiya!" said the Clefairy. I turned around, trying to see if someone was there, and as if sensing my confusion, the Clefairy responded "I'm a Pokémon" in a depressed tone, only to add "No I'm not!"

I'm willing to believe a lot. This is Kanto, after all. But I'd sooner believe in invisible people over talking Pokémon. "Call me Bill!" No way. "I'm a true blue Pokémaniac!" No kidding…

So, my mind is now blown. I mean, wow! I'm talking to a Pokémon! Maybe this is just a huge joke by Blue. "Hey! What's with that skeptical look?"

"Um," I began to say. "Look, maybe on Mt. Moon talking Pokémon are normal, but I find it hard to believe you're able to actually speak a human language."

He saw my disbelief, and reacted accordingly. "I'm not joshing you, I screwed up an experiment and got combined with a Pokémon!"

"That's, um, that's even less believable."

He then proceeded to tell me a long list of details about Pokémon teleportation and storage systems and the effects on people. It was incredibly confusing and hard to remember, and I thought Professor Oak's lessons were difficult. At last, once his speech was over, he asked, "So, how about it? Help me out here!" I almost considered saying no; after all, this was nuts, I just got lectured by a Clefairy.

But I said I'd help, and he looked so happy, at least as much as a Clefairy could be. "When I'm in the Teleporter, go to my PC and run the Cell Separation System!" Bill the Clefairy walked into the right machine and closed the door.

Well, I guess I have nothing to lose, let's try this thing out. The program was pretty simple to run, thankfully, so it only took a few clicks. Once I initiated the Teleporter's Cell Separator, the machines started to make strange noises, and suddenly a light shined through the pipe. A noise that sounded, well, victorious, played, and out stepped a human from the left machine!

"Yeehah! Thanks, bud! I owe you one!" Well, I'm not one to take in a favor so soon, but Bill clearly saw what I was thinking and brought my question up right away. "So, did you come to see my Pokémon collection?"

"Oh, most definitely, I need to increase my Pokédex, after all."

"Ah, so you're one of the receivers, eh?" he asked with an inquisitive look.

Of course, I responded with my own question. "One of? I thought only Blue and I got a Pokédex?"

He smiled, probably because he thought I was silly to think I was so special, and yet the smile didn't seem standoffish. "Well, the Pokédex is fairly new and difficult to make. Only about eight are currently made, and only the top Pokémon Professors in Japan got to own them."

That would explain how some people knew what the device was. It would be a big deal if Pokémon Professors were getting stuff like this. "So, can you show me now?" I said, trying to hide my zeal.

Bill's smile told me I failed. "Hehe, sure. Unfortunately, I leave all of them at home, save for my old Abra I recently traded and my new Clefairy."

Fearing another lecture into teleportation and Pokémon/data transfers, I walked over to his computer. "So, what do I do?"

"What? You should see them on there. You didn't?" He came in front and I let him sit down and work. "Uh oh." My sarcastic senses were telling me it must be working great. "That's a bummer. Apparently when we did the Cell Separation System, we crashed the computer. My connection to my PC Storage System will take awhile to repair. I'm sorry."

"Well," I sighed with some dejection. "That's fine, I guess." But Bill saw my glumness and did a bit more digging. His face suddenly lit up. "Look, bud, just check out some of my rare Pokémon on my PC!" Within a few moments, Bill pulled his favorite Pokémon list, and I had the Pokédex record the four Pokémon: Eevee, Flareon, Jolteon, and Vaporeon! I do like that Eevee, maybe if I ever find one, I'll use it for my team!

"Luckily, I managed to save a list of my top four favorites. It's just pictures, but hey, better than nothing right?" I nodded in jubilation. Blue may be ahead, but at least I've got some rare ones now!

"Still," he said with his finger tapping in thought, "I've got to thank you." Frankly, getting those four was payment enough, but he had more to give. "Oh here, maybe this'll do." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a strange ticket. Judging by the text, I received an S.S. Ticket.

"That cruise ship, S.S. Anne, is in Vermilion City. Its passengers are all trainers! They invited me to their party, but I can't stand fancy do's. Why don't you go instead of me?"

I wasn't a fan of them either, but then again, I've never been to one either, so it'll be a good experience. And I can earn a lot of experience too! "Thank you Bill, you've been too kind."

"You kidding? If it wasn't for you, I'd be trapped in my Pokémon for who knows how long! I owe you so much. I promise, if you ever hit up Goldenrod City, I'll show you all sorts of Pokémon firsthand."

"I'd like that," I said with a smile. "Thanks again!" With a wave, we parted ways: him to his computer; me to my gym battle.

The Pokémon League employs the best trainers around to represent them and their gyms. These trainers are so great; they'll practically be the mayor of the city, or at least an influential advisor. So seeing Cerulean City with the youngest Gym Leader in the history of Kanto, you wonder two things: either the League was dumb enough to hire a child to fight for them, or this child is exceptionally strong.

I can't be sure of the former, but the latter seems most likely.

"Hi, you're a new face!" said the girl wearing her bathing suit and tennis shoes for some reason. "Trainers who want to turn pro have to have a policy about Pokémon!" What's a policy? She saw my confusion, and with slight irritation, dumbed her sentence down. "What is your approach when you catch Pokémon?"

"Oh, well, um," I said. Do I even have a policy? She gave me a sort of look that just said, 'You're stupid.' Getting insulted by a Gym Leader without even using words; I should be mad, and yet I feel honored?

"My policy is an all-out offensive with Water type Pokémon!" She pulled out her Poké Ball from…somewhere I'd rather not say, and the challenge was on!

Now, if Misty leads out with an offensive front, then I'll need to match that with my own. And thanks to the Gym Trainer Diana who I fought with earlier, I knew just who to start with. "Go! Nidorina!"

With her Staryu already on the field, I knew it would be a tough fight. But I was ready. I sent my newly evolved Pokémon on a rampage of Poison Stings, each jab landing successfully, but only because Misty ordered a Tackle to get Staryu in close. At first I didn't understand the point, until Staryu managed a critical hit.

"Haha, you realize you won't win at this rate, right?" Don't count me out, little girl, we're just getting started!

"Nidorina, keep trying for Poison!" I shouted with confidence, knowing she would be happy to hear me so certain.

"Not so fast!" Misty yelled back. "Staryu, come here!" Staryu floated over, and Misty took some strange device out of…we'll just say thin air. "Do you know what this is, trainer?" I shook my head, so she answered for me. "This is an X Defend! And when I use it on Staryu, its defense rises!" Oh shoot! Not what I needed today. Since when can Gym Leaders use items?

Misty injected the device into Staryu and the Pokémon seemed to shine. Nidorina didn't care however and ran up to the starfish, tackling it with its small horn. While Staryu barely took damage, we got exactly what we wanted. "Ha! Your Staryu was poisoned!"

Misty was mad, but she shook it off and regained her cool. "Maybe so, but your Nidorina will never win!" There was only one way to find out, and leading off with Scratches, I was sure I would soon enough.

Staryu's critical hits kept coming, but with one last Scratch, Staryu fainted to the floor. "One down, Misty!" I was feeling far too confident, but this was too good to ignore.

"Bad mistake, little boy," she responded, her face contorting into a scowl. "Now, deal with Starmie!"

With five more Pokémon in the ranks, I was sure to win. I returned Nidorina and let Nidorino finish the fight. The fight was going well, Horn Attack versus Tackle, and I knew I'd take the lead soon. But Misty got livid. "BubbleBeam!" Bubblewhat?! Before I knew it, tons of Bubbles, more than Squirtle had ever spit out, flew at Nidorino. The speed was so intense; neither I nor Nidorino could react in time.

"One down!" Misty mocked. I had no words left, for my boasting led to a big hurt. Instead, I'd let Beedrill do the talking for me.

"Beedrill! Attack with Fury Attack!" But Starmie was faster, and laid a powerful Water Gun on my bug, weakening it considerably. Strangely, Misty seemed distracted, wincing whenever Beedrill flew close to her. It should have made the fight easier, but with Fury Attack doing barely any damage, I knew to not get confident yet.

Misty turned her eyes back on the battle, perhaps reluctantly, and pulled out another X Defend. "You won't win!" was all she managed to say as she poked Starmie with it and turned back around.

With such high defense, this was going to be a painful challenge. But I know I can still win! "Beedrill, keep at it! More Fury Attacks!" It nearly worked, until Misty ordered another BubbleBeam.

"Nice try, Beedrill," I said to the fainted Pokémon. I knew I couldn't prolong the misery, so I regained my composure. "Do it! Rattata!"

Even Rattata, one of my fastest, and with a Hyper Fang, could barely do enough damage, whereas Water Gun proved nearly fatal. But my little girl stood strong. "Quick Attack!" The attack hit, but Rattata was wide open for another Water Gun.

"Well, well, well," Misty said. "It's almost over. Three Pokémon left, one ready to faint, and yet my Starmie continues to clean house. Just give up if you can't handle the big leagues!"

That was it. My arrogance and aggression got the best of me, and I made a poor choice. "I can and I will! I still have one more strategy left, just you wait! Go! Charmeleon!"

I never saw someone laugh so hard. I was worried she was about to slip and fall in the pool water. "Are you serious?!" she finally managed to say.

"Oh, I am, your health is low enough for a devastating loss!" Charmeleon only needed to land one hit to win, so he just needed to hit her first.

She knew that too. "But, are you faster?" Uh oh. "BubbleBeam!"

"Metal Claw!" Charmeleon dashed through every single bubble, determined to drill through and pierce Starmie's jewel! But each bubble did a bit of damage, and the damage piled up fast. Charmeleon fainted, just decimeters away from landing his claw.

"Look, kid," Misty said as I returned my fire lizard in ignominy. "I admire your guts, but come on; you can't expect to win just because you've trained well. Yes, stats and strategy are important, but you need to think about types too. That's a big part of strategy too."

I couldn't help it; the smirk I gave seemed wicked, but was worth it to see her face. "Oh, I know. I may not be the best yet, but I didn't come here unprepared." Her expression was something between stunned and skeptical. "Don't believe me? Let me show you."

I grabbed my last Pokémon, and sent the ball flying at the planks below us. "Get'm! Oddish!" It was the ultimate standoff, and yet Oddish looked so out of place for something this grand. But the little girl wanted recognition, praise, and glory. And I'd give it to her. "Oddish! Absorb!"

"Tackle!" was all Misty shouted, determined that she'd succeed in beating my little weed.

But she was wrong. Despite a critical hit and a low level, Oddish lived! "Do it, buddy." I said with appreciation, and she nodded in delight. Strange balls of light left the starfish, and although it didn't give a lot of health, it did more than enough damage to finish off Starmie!

"Wow! You're too much!" She wasn't mad, or sad, or anything bad; just shocked, and happy? "All right! You can have the Cascade Badge to show you beat me!" Awesome! I happily took the badge, not caring where she pulled it from, as she said, "The Cascade Badge makes all Pokémon up to Level 30 obey! That includes even outsiders you got in trades." Cool, I'll be happy to have obedient Pokémon, although they always are.

"There's more, you can now use Cut any time, even outside of battle." Cut? "You can cut down small trees to open new paths!" I'll make sure to keep that in mind. "You can also have my favorite TM!" She handed me a TM11, making sure to add "TM11 teaches BubbleBeam! Use it on an aquatic Pokémon!"

I said my thanks and left, stronger, more experienced, and ready to continue my journey. But first, I had a new Technical Machine to try!

So, in an attempt to use my new TM, I went straight to Magikarp; surely he needs more than just Splash. I headed back to the Pokémon Center to experiment, with unfortunate results. The TM would not be accepted by the Pokémon; blasted fish is just useless. The words of that salesman keep ringing in my ears: "Well, I don't give refunds!"

At least they weren't the only words dancing in my head. After all, Jim's encouragement still rang in my head too. "You beat Misty! What'd I tell ya? You and me kid, we make a pretty darn good team!"

I had to agree there; Jim's advice to drain Water Pokémon really did work, even if it was a close call. Still, it was time to stop reminiscing and start to leave town, so I went around looking for a way out. Unfortunately, the way I found was behind some tree, but it looked poisonous to touch, so I was stuck. My last option was to ask the cop standing outside the robbed house. Surely they'd know a solution.

I grabbed the officer's attention, so he turned toward me. "The people here were robbed. It's obvious that Team Rocket is behind this most heinous crime! Even our Police force has trouble with the Rockets!"

"Yeah, they're vile gangsters," I answered back. "Still, I don't mean to seem heartless, but do you know of a way out of here? I need to get to the next gym."

He thought himself for a moment before answering. "Well, you could use Cut, but I'm guessing that's out of your price range. And I'm guessing you can't climb fences or trees, right?" I had to cast a discomfited look away. That's what I get for not being outdoorsy.

"Well, I'd take you out of town myself, but I'm busy keeping watch until the chief arrives, so, the only way out, well, is in this house." He seemed so reluctant to say it. "Sorry kid, I mean, go ahead and try if you want, but if they say no, you're stuck for now. I don't know why he had such trouble saying it, but I couldn't fall any farther behind Blue.

"Thank you sir, I'll talk with the people inside." He nodded in approval and motioned that I could pass.

Stepping inside, I immediately saw why he was so hesitant to let me through. The room was totally trashed. Things were a mess, paw prints everywhere, and worst of all: there stood a giant hole in the back wall. Judging by how the cop acted, this was the only way out of Cerulean City.

It really is a strange thing to see a crime scene with your own eyes. I've seen so many shows, played so many games, and yet when you see the scene first-hand, you almost get a chill. And at the same time, you're just glad it's not your home.

The husband and wife obviously noticed me entered, but seemed to settle down once they saw I was a kid. I spoke to the wife first, trying to clean up the prints on the floor. She sighed dejectedly to herself as she said, "Team Rocket must be trying to Dig their way into no good!" Her depressed tone rose to anger, and it was actually scary to see someone so mad; reminded me of Mom.

Hopefully the husband guarding the hole would be more conversational. "Those miserable Rockets!" Maybe not… "Look what they did here!"

"I see," I answered carefully. "But why, sir?"

"They stole a TM for teaching Pokémon how to dig holes!" All this damage for a TM? "That cost me a bundle, it did!"

"Sir," I began to say, "I know how the Rockets are. Believe it or not, I fought them all in Mt. Moon. At least you can be thankful you and your wife are safe."

He nodded in agreement, only to ask, "So kid, why are you here? You hoping to silence some grunts or what?"

I felt really bad asking what I was about to say, but I had to say it. "Well, you see, I'm trying to leave Cerulean, and, well," I had to take a breathe before I said, "You have the only way out."

The man gazed at me with just neutral eyes. No anger, sadness, joy, nothing even close to an emotion. Instead, it was the wife who called back, "Go ahead, kid." I turned back to her and she was smiling a little. "You look like a trainer, so we know you have no ill will; you just have a job to do. So go on." That smile was contagious, because both the husband and I smiled back.

"Thank you, both of you," I said as I walked for the hole. Stepping outside, I didn't expect to see much except Cerulean Bay and Nugget Bridge. Unfortunately, I saw one other thing: a Rocket Grunt heading my way.

Team Rocket is supposed to be menacing and cunning. They've left city police forces reduced to debris. They're always on the news from what I hear, and some members are truly proud of their evil actions. But today, this grunt showed that not all Rockets should be allowed to create plans.

"Hey! Stay out! It's not your yard!" said the grunt. He was acting so serious.

"It's not your yard either," I said plainly. He seemed irritated, so I decided to push the guy into a corner. "I'd rather know who you are, sir."

He was taken aback. It seems that he wasn't ready for an actual confrontation; especially from a kid. "Huh? Me? I'm an innocent bystander! Don't you believe me?"

"No." You think he'd try to cover his tracks, or run, or something. Instead he just reached to his belt and grabbed a ball, but only for a second. He threw the ball to the ground as hard as possible, releasing a Machop.

"Fine, we'll play hardball," I replied, sending out Nidorina. "Scratch!" I had the speed, but he had the power, his Karate Chop landing successfully again and again. With no other choice, I switched lovers, and had Nidorino led off with Horn Attack.

"Karate Chop again!" the grunt shouted, and the Machop managed to land several critical hits.

"You may have luck," I yelled, "But my Pokémon are far better than that!" And with that, Nidorino slammed its forehead into the Machop, sending it flying into a tree.

"Grah! Dumb Pokémon, return!" I smirked; knowing his loss of cool was a sign of victory. But apparently he had other plans. "Oh, don't you worry; I got one more bad boy for you! Go! Drowzee!"

Drowzee was a weird looking thing, like some sort of tapir, but I wasn't going to be intimidated so easily. "Yeah, well I've got more Pokémon for you too!" I sent out Rattata, knowing she'd be enough for this guy. "Hyper Fang!" I yelled confidently.

Drowzee was caught unaware, and the pain he felt forced him to flinch, giving me one more chance to attack. "Quick Attack!" The claws of my mouse weren't enough to win, unfortunately, as Drowzee pulled itself up. Still, what can this thing actually do? I have yet to see it attack.

"Drowzee, Confusion!" What the? Rattata began to float in the air for a few moments before being forced back into the ground!

"What did you just do?!" I yelled, worried as I saw half my Pokémon's health drop.

The guy shut his eyes and boasted, "That's the power of a Psychic type, kid. Too bad you'll never truly understand."

As a trainer, you want to say something witty before you deal the final blow. I'd like to think I did. "Oh yeah? Well I don't think I need to! Quick Attack!" The man's eyes bugged open, only to see my girl smack the Drowzee back to the ground, this time with no chance of getting up.

"Stop! I give up! I'll leave quietly!" he was about to turn his back, but I wasn't done with him yet.

"What about that TM you stole?" Granted, I was guessing, but you know the saying about criminals returning to crime scenes.

"Okay! I'll return the TM I stole!" He practically threw the disc at me, something called TM28. "I better get moving! Bye!" I made a motion to stop him, but he threw down another ball, but it wasn't a Poké Ball; it was a smoke bomb! Blinded by smoke, I had no choice but to let the grunt get away.

I crept back through the hole, and immediately met eyes with the man. "I heard the fight, we saw the action. You actually beat that jerk!"

"Well," I blushed, "I was only defending myself."

"Still, that was impressive. You'd make a good Police Officer if you weren't so young." He was practically jovial as he stared at me. I wonder if this is how fathers look at their sons.

"Here," I said, reaching into my bag. "I managed to get your TM back." But he wouldn't grab the CD and instead gave me a look of pride.

"No, you earned that TM, far more than anyone. You keep it!" I was speechless, but he wasn't. "I figure what's lost is lost! I decided to teach Diglett how to Dig without a TM!"

I managed to give him my thanks, truly happy I was now the owner of another TM. But the grunt's escape still left a sour taste as I climbed through the hole. At least I finally got out of Cerulean City.

I decided to let the sun hit my back and head east, but my path got cut short yet again; another untouchable tree. "What kind of person lets these things grow everywhere?"

My question left unanswered, I decided to go south and grab the map out of my backpack to see where I was. The biggest city of them all, Saffron City, stood before me, which was obvious when I could see a huge building standing tall above the trees.

Past that is Vermilion City. From what I hear, it's the port of Kanto. I would guess it must be the second most important town of the region; after all, Saffron supposed is dedicated to science, and Kanto isn't the best place for agricultural needs. Not to mention Mt. Silver and the Gold Peaks prevent easy travel outside of the area.

But enough about Vermilion, it's time for Saffron!

My journey down Route 5 gave me three paths to take. Since hopping ledges is fun, I took the middle path. And I was right to take it; this huge house sat before me. I figured I'd walk in, just to see if it was abandoned, and I found a man inside. "Hello," I said to the man sitting at his table.

He looked towards me and gave the patented nod before speaking. "I run a Daycare. Would you like me to raise one of your Pokémon?"

Daycares are not common in Kanto; they offer to train and provide for your Pokémon while the trainer goes exploring. I figure I can't lose anything by handing over a Pokémon who could use the training; it may even help me beat Blue! "Sure! As long as you treat them well!"

He nodded once again. "Which Pokémon should I raise?" Immediately a pang of guilt came over me as I realized I'd have to choose between my team. I couldn't give up Charmeleon of course. And I can't separate the Nido lovers. And I just got Oddish, it would feel so weird to give her away now.

Glumly, I handed over Rattata, knowing how much I'd miss my little girl. "Fine, I'll look after Rattata for a while," the man said so plainly. "Come see me in a while." I felt a pang of guilt, but I know Rattata will be much better off, and I'll be sure to get her back when it's time for a rematch with Blue's!

Until then, it's time to continue the expedition! With one last ledge hop, I saw the guard station separating me from Saffron City. And yet, despite the massive city in front of me, I had a strange vibe overcome me.

"I'm on guard duty," said the lady inside the building. "Gee, I'm thirsty, though!" Guess they never heard of vending machines. "Oh wait there, the road's closed."

"What?!" I shouted in surprise. Realizing I was too loud, I toned myself down. "I mean, why? I need to get to Saffron!"

"Sorry kid," the lady answered. "Saffron City is under heavy lockdown by order of the International Police." Otherwise known as the Global Police, they were the ultimate fighting squad of the planet. They were like real spies, and were beyond the levels of the Pokémon League. Or so they say.

"Well okay, then what do I do?" I asked, trying to find a solution to this maze of a region.

She put her finger to her lips, dropping into deep thought for a moment. "I'd suggest taking the Underground Path to Vermilion. A lot of people hate on it for being all dark and spooky, but, well, you're not afraid of the dark, right?" She smirked at me, teasing me.

"Of course not, ma'am," I answered as politely as possible. I'm mature for my age, lady. "Thank you for your help."

"No problemo, dearie." With that annoying experience down, it was time for the next town. This was not looking good. I've been lucky to get this far, but I've already missed Viridian and now Saffron. I can only wonder if Blue is as far behind because of the lockdown.

Just outside of the lookout station was a small building. The sign said it connected Cerulean and Vermilion. I suppose it's close enough to true.

But just like the lady said, the tunnel inside was drowned in darkness. You always hear parents warn about going into dark and scary places because of horrible and menacing people taking advantage of you. However, my trek was almost uneventful, just lit with the dimmest of lights and the loudest of echoes.

Almost being the key word.

A loud blast brought light into the passageway several meters ahead, and a tall blue-haired woman tumbled down a set of stairs in front of me! "Ma'am!" I yelled. "Are you okay?!" I got to her side, and she was fine, just winded. But the Bulbasaur beside her had fainted.

"Wahahaha!" The booming laughter came from above. "Child, forget her, she's hardly worth worrying about." I looked up with a scowling rage, but the purple-haired man had no care for my expression as he walked down the stairs. "You see, I am here only for that rare beauty next to her. And frankly, I'll let her even keep that one, so long as she tells me where she found it."

"Never!" she shouted, the echo thundering in the chamber. She slowly got up, clutching the beaten reptile in her arms. "Just get lost, Rocket scum!"

The man raised his hands in disappointment. "Heh, let me tell you a secret, kids. Team Rocket is right above us, working on the biggest plan ever imagined! Your Bulbasaur may be rare, but it is so small time. So I'll tell you what; I am a nice guy, so I'll let you battle for it. Win, I'll go, and you'll never have to worry about the little dinosaur thing again." But the catch must be high. This is Team Rocket, after all. "Lose, and all those balls? Yeah, they're mine."

I jumped in front of the girl and threw down my Pokéball! As my Nidorina hit the field, the Rocket let out a comment. "Ooh, you seem strong! You know, you're lucky. That Bulbasaur nearly died taking down my Koffing. You actually have a chance now!" He bellowed a laughter, which sounded disgusting in a way. "So then, let's see."

He purposely delayed his choice. He was trying to grate my nerves, and he was succeeding. "Ah, there we go, have fun Zubat!"

All that for a Zubat? Unbelievable. "Nidorina, attack with Scratch!" Nidorina desperately tried to slice the bat, but he constantly dodged, avoid every claw thrown at it.

"Alright Zubat, enough playing with your food! Astonish!" That seemed like a weak move. Why would he go with that?

I soon saw why, as the smash into Nidorina caused her to flinch! "No! Nidorina!"

"Too late!" the grunt yelled joyfully. "Bite that rodent!" Zubat bit her, causing her massive devastation with a critical hit. I couldn't blame her for flinching again. "One more time now!" he sang. Nidorina opened her eyes to see the gaping maw of Zubat clutch her head. I felt so sorry for her as she fainted, her last sight so fearsome.

"You beat one, Rocket. And that's all you'll beat." His smirk was driving me nuts. But I could guarantee it would make Nidorino crazy too. Nidorino hit the field and heard me declare, "Buddy, let's give some payback for Nidorina and attack with Horn Attack!"

With rage burning in his eyes, Nidorino charged toward the bat. Naturally, it tried to fly to the roof, but Nidorino jumped higher than I thought possible and stabbed Zubat. Caught unaware, Zubat was shot into the roof, receiving major damage in the process!

The Rocket was mad for but a moment; he issued a new order, and smiled as he said it. "Zubat, Confuse Ray!"

"What's Confuse-" was all I could say as a ball of bright light came out and shot itself at Nidorino. Once it got inside, Nidorino's eyes glazed over; he was confused! "Snap out of it, Nidorino!" I desperately shouted.

"Save your breath! Wing Attack!" Nidorino was too dazed to dodge the oncoming attack, and despite an order to Leer, Nidorino could only think of smacking itself repeatedly.

"Alright, my flying friend, finish another meal!" Nidorino fell to the floor as Zubat used Bite. My lovely couple was now out of the picture, and at this rate, the remaining three looked doomed too.

With a deep breath, I looked at my options. Oddish was a big no, and Charmeleon was the obvious choice. But then I came up with an idea. "Go! Beedrill!"

"Ah," the grunt said. "Not bad, kid, I see what you did there." I tried to feign ignorance, but he was clearly too smart for that. "Fight Flying with Flying, get more accurate hits, smart move. Except my bat WILL beat your bug! Wing Attack!"

"Beedrill, dodge!" Beedrill's great speed saved it from an immediate death, but just barely. However, that was a part of my plan. "Fury Attack!" With no way to defend itself, Beedrill had free reign to unleash critical hits to the back of the bloodsucker!

"No! Not my precious Pokémon! Get out of the combo and Astonish it!" Zubat barely got free and followed orders, but the Astonish came too late, as Beedrill just had to finish up with Poison Sting.

Defeat glowing in his eyes, he blinked the emotion away and changed tone. "Muhaha, wow, you're good! It only took three Pokémon to beat Zubat!" So much for a nice guy. "Now what should I choose?"

I wasn't going to let his aggravation tactic get going again. "You only have one left! Just choose it!"

"Hehe, very well, your loss will only come sooner!" He grabbed his next ball, and summoned a Raticate.

"Rattata…" I whispered. My recent loss of a team member returned to the forefront of my mind, but I attempted to realign my attention.

Regrettably, he heard me anyway. "Child, you aren't that dumb, are you? This is a Raticate. Ra. Ti. Cate."

"I know what a Raticate is!" I shouted, choking on rage and tears. "Beedrill! Fury Attack!" Beedrill went straight at Raticate, almost as if he was fueled by my emotions.

It was exactly what the grunt needed. "Sucker Punch." Despite the tiny hands and arms, Raticate managed to slip under and punch Beedrill directly in the abdomen. The force of the punch sent Beedrill spinning into the air, unable to land the hit!

"Grr, do it again!" I said with desperation. Beedrill led the charge, one spike thrust forward, but the Rocket Grunt had one more plan.

"Hyper Fang!" And just like Rattata, the move was devastating. "And look, yet another Pokémon too weak to take a hit! Guess we should end its misery, don't you think, _Raticate_?" The way he said it, I knew he was doing all he could to crack me open.

"Beedrill, that's enough, come back!" There was no sense fighting on, and now this was personal. If this grunt wants to play hard, so be it.

"Go! Charmeleon!" There would be no holding back, just a barrage of attacks.

"Kid," the lady finally whispered to me. I had totally forgotten she was even here. "Look, you're in rage mode, cool off or he's going to land a huge blow. Your Pokémon are responding to your anger."

She was sadly right; I looked to my buddy, and he was burning with rage too. He knew what was going on; he could see from inside his ball. "Just take a deep breath and beat this punk!" Whoever she was, she was right.

"Charmeleon," I said, "I need you to calm down first. Let's be at our best when we take him to his worst!" Charmeleon looked like he was trying to take my advice to heart, but things weren't going well.

"Ha! Therapy won't be helpful today! Crunch!" I wasn't familiar with the move, but I wasn't about to find out how it worked.

"Metal Claw!" Charmeleon's hands glowed with the silvery light I was starting to love, and he charged headfirst at the rat. Raticate landed a bite on Charmeleon's arm, but his attack was only enough to stop one arm.

Raticate took the attack and rolled across in pain. "Charmeleon, go for one more!"

"Scary Face!" the Rocket shouted. Charmeleon was forced to stare at a terrifying face, and it was enough to slow him down. Raticate jumped high and landed behind my Flame Pokémon. "Now Hyper Fang the thing!"

Raticate succeeded in forcing its teeth around Charmeleon's tail, but that only made it an easy target. "Ember!" The fire emanating from his mouth sent Raticate into a frenzy; it was burned!

"Curse you! I want his Pokémon Crunched, harder than anything you've ever bit before!" The Rocket had a murderous look in his eyes, yet his Raticate followed orders without question.

Thankfully, my Charmeleon was obedient too. "Metal Claw, buddy!" Charmeleon shoved his right paw into Raticate's face, allowing for Raticate to follow through on its order. Nevertheless, the Pokémon stood; fatigue evident in them both.

"Raticate, we're gonna win! Just hit him with Sucker-" That was all he could say. Raticate clutched itself, right where the scorch marks were, and fell to the ground. As if to follow his example, the grunt dropped to his knees right beside him.

We all stood there for nearly a minute. Silence lived strong in the tunnel, until finally the girl broke the hush. "I'm Melanie, by the way." I looked back to her, but she just kept staring at the grunt. "I'd have said something sooner, but Bulbasaur was priority one, and your battle was priority two." She finally looked to me and smiled wide. "So now we can introduce ourselves!"

I was a bit out of my league, talking with the teenager, but I shyly said, "Red's my name."

"Hehe, cute. It suits you in more ways than one." Yeah, and usually led to insults from Blue. "So, I want to thank you somehow, but I'm not sure how."

"Let's just take this Rocket to jail first, then we'll deal with that," I answered as serenely as possible. All she saw was a shy boy trying to look tough.

"Sorry, that's against the rules, child," the Rocket said, Raticate returned to its ball and him on his feet again. "Don't you remember? The deal says I run away now."

"Forget it!" Melanie shouted, interrupting and stealing my line. "You deserve jail, and that's that!"

"Oh, maybe so, my dear, but you see, I have better things to do. My loyalty for Boss Rocket would never allow jail." I reached for my Poké Balls; I wouldn't attack a human with them, but threatening a Rocket seemed legal enough. The purple-haired Rocket saw my movement. "Oh, I've got a better ball for you. Here, enjoy this Smoke Ball!" And with that, an obscuring cloud enveloped us, giving the Rocket his freedom.

Later, once we cleared our throats of the smoke, we struck up a conversation. Melanie told me about how Bulbasaur wasn't doing well in the wild, and now thanks to that jerk, she'd have to nurse him back to health. "Why can't you just use a Pokémon Center?" I asked.

"Well, they can, but for injuries of this extent, it can actually cost money, and it may require a trip to someplace like Saffron. And as you probably know, Saffron's closed off." Now this side tour led to double trouble, and chances are much more, if that grunt was to be believed. "So treating Bulbasaur will be good training for when I get to be a nurse."

"I wish you luck then," I said with a smile. "Do you think you can make it back on your own?"

"Yes, I should be fine," she responded. "But look, I feel bad for not having anything you really want, so I'll do the next best thing!" Curious, I put full attention on her next words. "You're a Pokémon Trainer, right? Going and beating gyms, getting all that glory and fights and what have you?"

"For the most part," I answered modestly.

"Good! Then your next challenge will be Lt. Surge." I gave a puzzled face, and she decided to give further assistance. "He trains Electric type Pokémon. Normally you won't have too much trouble, but if I were you, I'd go to the cave east of town." She smiled at me and winked, confident she gave great advice. "I won't spoil the surprise, but you'll definitely win if you go there."

Unsure of how to thank her for a surprise, I said, "Well, your advice is cryptic, but I'm sure it will be useful. Thank you so much, Melanie."

"No problem! Come by and visit next time you're in Cerulean!" Today almost totally sucked, except for one thing: I made a good friend.

Leaving the Underground Path led me to a woman standing near the stairs. I tried to talk with her, but she was very shaken up; she must have seen all the events transpire, and the escaping Rocket too. "People often lose things in that Underground Path."

I wanted to quiz her further, but it looked like saying that was already too much of a challenge. I stepped outside instead and took in the night. I could see Vermilion in the distance, but I so wanted to stay out here and camp. My Pokémon were still injured from the previous battle, but on the other hand, I didn't want to fight a trainer in the middle of the night.

So Charmeleon, Beedrill, and Oddish stayed the night with me. I healed up my buddies with my last two Potions and told the three to try to sleep as best they could. I could see the fret in their eyes; it was because of the Nidos, they were worried about their family. I did my best to reassure them, and I think they finally took my words to heart before finally laying down.

I guess I should have been happy to wake up to an Oddish on my chest. Then again, when I say it like that, it sounds so weird. Still, as I noticed Oddish on my chest, my thoughts went back to Rattata. I picked up the Oddish and set it down, waking it in the process. Charmeleon and Beedrill soon woke up as well, and so it was time for a group meeting.

"Alright guys," I said to my now almost all-male team. "It's just the three of us. Vermilion's real close, but I know you guys need to get proper healing, so no side-quests. So Oddish, take the lead, and win us some battles; these trainers are ready for some action." They all nodded in agreement, although I could see Oddish slightly crouching in fear. She was the youngest and the weakest, but I had hope for the little Weed Pokémon.

But as one could predict, she didn't hold up well. She tried really hard to fight past her weaknesses, but eventually she fainted, and followed afterwards by Beedrill. The last fight against some Camper nearly pulled us into defeat, but Charmeleon burned his Pokémon and lived on.

I should have been worried. One Pokémon left, in critical condition, and yet, the sight of Vermilion only feet away filled me with elation.


	5. Chapter Five: Vermilion City

_**Chapter Five: Vermilion City**_

Vermilion wasn't the biggest city, nor did it have the best features. It lacked the size and sustenance, but made up for its losses with smell. Walking past the first houses, the aroma of the sea swarmed into my nose. The smell was invigorating in a way, and I could tell I'd have a lot of fun in this town.

The Pokémon Center was as safe as ever. Those nurses sure are happy to see you give them your Pokémon. Vermilion had a lot to offer, I soon learned. There was the massive S.S. Anne moored in the bay, an old man ("Old Man"…shuddering at the thought) and his Machop working at a construction site, a Police Officer patrolling the area (it's about time they did something), and the home of the Fishing Guru.

"I'm the Fishing Guru!" he boasted. He was probably older than my mom, but I couldn't be sure by how much. "I simply looove fishing!" Creepy. "Do you like to fish?" I had never fished in my life, but I wasn't about to say no. I guess I had a feeling he'd have been so disappointed if I said otherwise. With my nod, he brightened up even more and said, "Grand! I like your style! Take this and fish, young one!" He reached into his pocket and whipped out a tiny stick. With a flick of his wrist, the stick extended out to a full-length fishing rod. I didn't want to admit it, but I was impressed.

"Fishing is a way of life!" he said as I took the rod from him. "From the seas to rivers, go out and land the big one, young one!" I may not be a fan of fishing, but it might help in my Pokémon journey, and it was a gift anyway. I nodded to show my appreciation, and he offered a handshake instead.

I decided I'd check out more of the town before I tried fishing. I soon found the gym, but there was a problem: the only way over was to cut down one of those poisonous trees. "Shoot; and I can't swim either," I said aloud, hoping someone would hear me and stop my plight. Nope.

So instead I went around town again asking for help. I really didn't want to skip another gym; my efforts had slim rewards, but rewards nonetheless. Apparently I needed the HM called Cut, and that the best hope for getting one would be at the Poké Mart.

"Please tell me you have Cut," I asked the shopkeeper, tired from my trek around town.

"Well," the man said slowly, "we did, but the Cut Master, captain of the S.S. Anne, just bought the last few." I wanted to faceslam the counter so badly. "He wants to take them to his protégés in Unova, or something like that, I don't know for sure."

I made a turn to leave; yet another gym was going to be skipped. "Yeah, I'm sorry. I'd say go buy it from him, but you need a ticket to get on the S.S. Anne."

You just have to love how the world works. A seemingly pointless ticket has just led me to continuing my mission across Kanto. I thanked the man as quickly as possible and ran across the road to the port in front of me. I had no idea how much time I had, but I knew I had to hurry.

I hurried across the port and met up with a man guarding the entrance. "Welcome to S.S. Anne! Excuse me, do you have a ticket?" I nodded and reached into my backpack. It took a few seconds to find the piece of paper, but I finally flashed the S.S. Ticket. "Great! Welcome to S.S. Anne!"

"Excuse me," I said. "But when does the ship set sail?" There was no way I was getting stuck on-board.

The man smiled merrily and said, "We set out at sunset! I guess you could say the beauty of Vermilion will be our signal to cast off!" Good, that gives me plenty of time. I thanked the man and headed inside.

The ship certainly looked massive, and yet once I entered, it looked even larger. As I walked through the hallways of the interior, a sailor grabbed my attention. "Hey kid, you be a trainer?" I nodded and he continued. "The passengers are restless! You might be challenged by the more bored ones!" Just like Bill had said before, the ship was filled with trainers. And since I had time to spare, I decided there was no harm in training my team.

But all the battling that took place left me to discover a maddening mistake rushing to the S.S. Anne: I forgot to buy breakfast. Thankfully it took only a minute to find a waiter to serve me. "Bonjour! I am le waiter on this ship!" said the apparently French caretaker of orders. "I will be happy to serve you anything you please!" That was a good question; what did I want?

There's always a simple salad, or candy, or a burger, or chili dogs, or prime ribs, or steak, or omelets, or- "Ah! Le strong silent type!" And before I could say a word, the waiter scurried off. My stomach roared at me in anger.

So I went back to battling my hunger by battling other trainers. I managed to finish off several trainers on the first floor. There were two things worth noting: a Wigglytuff doesn't seem as bad as a Jigglypuff (it wasn't singing at least), and that I meant a member of the Global Police.

"Ssh! I'm a Global Police agent! I'm on the trail of Team Rocket! They're up to nothing good!" he told me. But I figured something was up, so I asked why he was here. "I've managed to gather a lot of information, but before the International Police can make an organized strike, I need to deliver this information. S.S. Anne will make several stops along its journey, and that's when I'll alert my superiors."

I decided to give him what I had known, and although he knew about the attacks, he did appreciate the finer details. "Well kid, no need to risk yourself anymore. Just be careful, and soon we'll take them out." I hope so, sir.

I visited the kitchen next, and while there were no trainers, there was plenty of food! I found the main chef and struck up a conversation. "Er-hem! Indeed I am le Chef! Le main course is Eels au Barbecue! Les guests will mutiny, I fear."

I could see why. "Well um, why not make something else the main course?"

"Great idea! Le main course shall be…Salmon du Salad!"

"Uh," I tried to say, nightmarish images of the dish swimming in my mind. "Well, is it any good?"

"Oui! Les guests may gripe it's fish again, however!"

"Um, you may want something else then." I was hoping for any meal, but I'd like it to not gross me out while I eat it.

"Oui. Hmm, le main course shall be…Prime Beef Steak!" Great idea! "But, have I enough fillets du beef?" Shoot! Must not lose splendid dish!

"I'm sure they'll be enough. You can always hit up Vermilion really quick if you need supplies!" I was afraid he wouldn't buy it, but he did.

"Great idea!" Spooky. "I shall begin at once! How may I thank you?" I had an idea, and the chef was happy to oblige for me and my Pokémon! With a meal to last us until bed, we were ready to face off against the rest of the travelers!

After viewing the bow of the ship, lower and the second level of the cruise ship, my victories were making me feel good and ready to fight Vermilion's Gym Leader, Lt. Surge. After I got this nice lady to heal up my Pokémon, I began to make my way to the next floor, but a familiar voice echoed through the hall.

"Bonjour! Red!" Oh gosh, why are you everywhere? Blue had appeared, and with the most fake French accent imaginable too? "Imagine seeing you here!" Reading my mind, eh? "Red, were you really invited?"

"Sort of," I responded. "Bill gave me a ticket to get aboard."

"Ahh," Blue said, stretching out the sound and creating a belligerent smirk in the process. "So you did go see Bill. Guess he pitied you!" he laughed callously.

"Hey!" I yelled back. "It was a reward for helping him!" I took a deep breathe and calmed down. Mom wouldn't want me overreacting. "Besides, this was a big step to completing my journey," I added.

Blue raised an eyebrow to this and took in my sentence. Once he realized what I meant, his moment of silence was over. "So how's your Pokédex coming?"

"Well, I've got about 21 Pokémon now, and-"

He shot out an assailing laugh. "I already caught forty kinds, pal. Different kinds are everywhere." I know. "Crawl around in grassy areas, and look hard for them." I know!

"Wait…you actually crawled in the grass?" I looked at his pants, and sure enough, there were far more grass stains than I ever imagined on someone, much less Blue.

"Shut up! My strategy works!" I wanted to retort, but as he reached for his Poké Ball, I realized he had a different, more threatening method in mind. "Let me show you!"

"I choose you! Pidgeotto!" He sure does like to start with that bird. I'm going to need a good starter too then. Perhaps Nidorina will be a good choice.

"Go! Nidorina!" With our catch phrases thrown out, it was time for battle. Blue started out with Gust and blew Nidorina off her feet and toward the wall, but she bounced off and followed through with a critical Scratch! "That's my girl! Hit him again!"

"No chance Red! Blow that thing away!" Blue shouted with hostility. The attack blew her back, but not as far. Sadly, Scratch didn't hit Pidgeotto critically again, but Blue wasn't going to take anymore chances. "Sand Attack!" As hard as Nidorina tried, she was unable to land another Scratch, the sand debilitating her.

"Good!" Blue yelled hawkish. "Do Quick Attack!" Before Nidorina could do anything, Pidgeotto quickly slammed into her and backed off. Unable to see well, Nidorina missed yet another Scratch.

Fearing loss, I tried to hit Pidgeotto's stats. "Growl!" But Pidgeotto was so fast; it managed another Quick Attack and covered its ears using its wings. Nidorina was failing badly, so I had to take one last chance before hitting the red zone. "Poison Sting!"

Nidorina jumped in the general direction of Pidgeotto, and stunned by the new attack, couldn't dodge fast enough. Poison didn't set in, but a critical hit made victory look possible. "Nidorina good! Come back!" I grabbed the obvious follow-up and said, "Get'm! Nidorino!" He got hit by Pidgeotto's Quick Attack, but he was still fresh for the fight.

"Horn Attack!" Pidgeotto tried to fly away, but the space inside the hallway was too small to make a good escape, and thus Pidgeotto was stabbed and beaten!

"Dang it!" Blue swore (at least for a ten year old it kind of is). "Fine, you're getting hit hard now!" He grabbed his next Poké Ball and sent out Raticate. Lacking my own mouse, I instead switched for Beedrill. "Where's your mouse? Too weak to fight back?" he laughed despicably.

I could tell he saw my sullen expression, but I tried to hide it anyway and said, "No, I just decided not to use it. Beedrill is enough for this fight!" Blue gave me a strange look that I couldn't understand: almost inquisitive, but not quite enough to match that.

Whatever the expression was soon faded as I ordered, "Twineedle!" Both trainer and Pokémon were totally off guard at my command, and Beedrill managed to land incredibly powerful blows, leaving Raticate in the red zone already. Blue became more aggressive.

Blue screamed with rage, scaring all three of us. "Raticate, Hyper Fang!" Raticate did so, but it took great pain in the charge to bite my bug. It only took a few moments to find out why: Beedrill poisoned Raticate! I managed to defeat his Pokémon in one turn!

"YOU! Curse you…Red!" he shrieked at the top of his lungs. I couldn't help the smug smile on my face.

Despite being a ship made for battling, the noises caused by our Pokémon, and Blue, were attracting the attention of the passengers. Some peaked outside their doors, worried or just curious. Others actually stepped out and came to watch the action. I had never had so many spectators before, and it was a little distracting and intimidating.

"Oh, that is it! No more games!" he said more quietly, also aware of the gathering attention. "Show him why we're the best, Kadabra!"

"Sorry Blue, but I have other plans!" I stuck with Beedrill in the hopes Twineedle would do some decent damage. After all, I just decimated Raticate. "Twineedle!"

But when Blue ordered Confusion, he hit my bee with more damage than I expected! Beedrill was still in the game, but he was panting. And even worse, he was now confused. But when Kadabra went down after another attack, it was all too satisfying.

"GRR! You just won because of type advantage!" he retorted.

But I was too cocky for my own good. "Then explain Raticate, Blue." Blue went pale from the remark. With no words to back him up, he just reached for his last Pokémon.

I exchanged Beedrill for Oddish, hoping she'd be able to do some respectable damage to Blue's new Wartortle. Blue played the stat killer with Tail Whip, but I ran on through with Absorb. Blue stayed quiet for the remainder of the fight as Oddish tore his starter apart. With one last critical hit, Oddish fully healed herself, and sucked Wartortle dry.

Blue, disgusted by the loss, only managed to say "Humph!" I could tell he was at a loss for words. For a moment I felt sorry for him. "At least you're raising your Pokémon!" And with that weird comment, my compassion was replaced with anger and confusion.

"Whatever Blue," was all I could say.

We watched the people walking away, too far away for their comments to be heard. So instead Blue said one. "I heard there was a Cut master on board."

"Yeah, he's the reason I'm here, I need Cut," I said, hoping the moment of peace stuck around.

"Ahh, the gym? I forgot you can't swim." There wasn't sympathy in his voice, but there wasn't aggression either. A nice change of pace for Blue; perhaps he can keep it up. "Well, you can see him if you want. But he was just a seasick old man!" That's not a good sign. "Cut itself is really useful. Yup, it'll be really handy. You should go see him, too."

"Yeah, I might as well." I was about to thank him since I had a habit of being polite, and for once he was deserving of niceties.

Unfortunately, Blue didn't have that habit. "Smell ya!" Annoying until the end.

The stairs ahead led to a big office room. The place was kind of neat with displays of foreign countries and pictures of fellow sailors. But kneeling in the corner was a man over a trash can. I guess I found my seasick old man. "Um, excuse me sir?" I said slowly, trying to keep my distance from the guy.

"Ooargh," he…said. "I feel hideous..." You sound it too. I worried if another round came up. My curiosity betrayed me and I looked toward the trash can. Yuck! Shouldn't have looked!

"Urrp! Seasick…" Please don't throw up again, please don't throw up again. In a desperate attempt to save the guy, and myself, I rubbed the Captain's back. After about four rubs, the captain was looking a lot better already. His paleness faded and he stood up and faced me. "Whew! Thank you! I'm feeling much better now. As thanks, hmm...let me think." I was about to provide a suggestion, but he beat me to it.

"You want to see my hidden Cut technique?" I nodded furiously, but he added, "I could show you my prized Cut technique if I weren't so ill..." he said apologetically. "I know! You can have this! This Hidden Machine!" His mood immediately turned around as he reached into his pocket and pulled out an HM! "Teach Cut to your Pokémon, and you can see it Cut anytime!" He handed over the HM, and so finally I got HM01! I put my first HM away in my backpack.

I expressed my thanks to the man, and added "This is really going to help me beat the gym leaders."

"Ahhh," he said. "Yeah, I've done that little trek before. Using Cut, you can chop down small trees. Why not try it with the trees around Vermilion City?" he added with a wink. "Good luck to ya!" I wanted to ask him more about Surge in case he had some good information, but he had one more thing to say. "...Whew! Now that I'm not sick any more, I guess it's time."

"Time, sir?"

"Why yes, the sun has set. The S.S. Anne will set sail soon!" What?! "Yup, I suggest getting on the bow for a good look as we leave. Should be any minute now."

Oh no! "But sir! I need to get off! I just came on to learn Cut!" The Cut Master was shocked and worried for me, which wasn't good for his stomach.

"I'm sorry son; I can't stop the ship, just hurry off!" I didn't even wait to say my thanks, just a simple bye and I dashed down the stairs. All I heard was a farewell echo down the stairwell.

I hurried as fast as I could down the hallways, down the stairs, and made the turns leading me back to the main floor. As I ran, the horns signaling the last call went off. A couple of stragglers were getting in up ahead, but otherwise the hallways were almost clear. Almost.

"Bonjour! I am le waiter on this ship!" You again?! I don't have time for this! "Ah! Le strong silent type! You are back for food?"

"Can't stay bye!" was all I could say. I so wished I could see the waiter's face, but I had to hurry. I rounded the last turn, nearly crashing into the sailor guarding the exit, and made it through the exit just in time. I turned as the bridge went up, mere seconds away from taking me with it, and at last the ship went off, the worldwide journey beginning without me.

With Cut, I had a few plans left before taking on Surge. First, I decided to check out this cave east of town. The man inside told me that the cave was dug by Digletts, and the tunnel goes to Viridian City. "A good idea if I want to head back, but for now I'll see what the cave has to offer," I told the old man.

And true to Melanie's word, the cave gave me a shot at victory. Almost immediately I ran into a Diglett! With Ground destroying Electric types, Surge would be toast! "Go! Oddish!" Even one Absorb hurt the Pokémon enough, and with the added precaution of Sleep Powder, Diglett was mine!

With my new teammate in hand, I did a bit of training with Oddish and Diggy; the last two in need the experience for Surge.

With the last bit of experience earned, I decided to try out that Old Rod. I wanted to see what I could get; unfortunately the results were not favorable. I returned to the Fishing Guru after several fishing attempts.

"Hello there, Red! How are the fish biting?" said the Fishing Guru as I walked through his door.

"Biting fine," I answered in an annoyed tone. "Except that they're ALL Magikarp. Am I just that bad or what?"

"Wait, you wanted to catch Pokémon with that? I thought you just wanted to fish!"

"Um, no, I'm trying to finish my Pokédex." The man looked at me, looking me up and down.

"Okay, I understand," he responded. "You're a kid, you're young, and you wanna get out there and catch and collect and train. Well, that's fine, and you're right, the Old Rod ain't good for that. No appeal to fish other than Magikarp. So," he said, digging around in his pocket.

I was hoping for another rod, but I couldn't really explain why. Instead, he pulled out a little book and started looking through it. "Okay, I've got a brother in Fuchsia City. He's pretty far away, but he'll give you a rod I think. My youngest brother lives off the coast too, but he's a bit of a hot shot, so I don't expect him to part with his rod."

"Well um, thank you," I meekly said.

"You're welcome kid, and good luck!" That was enough fun for one day, I need some rest.

I decided to rest outside of town again. The outdoors was really something to admire, and camping out by the lake was really appealing. As I set up the spot for camping, I let out my team.

Once again Charmeleon and Beedrill were good to each other. If I didn't know better, I'd have guessed they were brothers. The Nidos were cuddling up close. They reminded me of those teenagers on movies who were always close and embracing. Diggy and Oddish were shy toward each other, but they were slowly getting along.

After a healthy meal between the six of us that I bought from the Poké Mart, I decided to give a speech to help everyone get inspired. "Alright guys, listen up. We're fighting Lt. Surge tomorrow, and he'll be tough, but I know we can beat him. Diggy's our new guy, and now that you've all got acquainted, I hope our bonds will lead to a powerful victory!" They all cheered at that, so I guess my speech didn't suck. "So let's get a lot of rest and, in the morning, get a shiny new badge!"

Satisfied, everyone started snuggling somewhere for the night. Oddish, the nocturnal Pokémon, just sat down at my feet and watched the stars, but she did bury herself a bit to get comfy. Diggy actually helped her get settled, which was really cute to see. Afterwards, Diggy himself went into a tiny hole and I'm assuming slept away.

Nidorino and Nidorina cuddled up again behind my pillow, satisfied at my head. Charmeleon laid at my right and Beedrill at my left. Satisfied that everyone was comfortable for the night, I too went to sleep, the last sight being the stars above.

The next day was soon upon us, and I walked to my destination. There, before me, stood the gym of Vermilion City. I was a little nervous, but I was ready to face off against the gym and the trainers inside. Using the technique Cut, Oddish was able to slice down the tree and let me inside.

Stepping inside led me to meet Jim yet again. "Yo! Champ in making! Lt. Surge has a nickname. People refer to him as the Lightning American!" Interesting, a foreigner running the gym, hopefully he'll bring some interesting skills to the battle. "He's an expert on Electric Pokémon! Birds and water Pokémon are at risk!" Luckily I won't have that problem, especially with Diggy in the lead. "Beware of paralysis too! Lt. Surge is very cautious! You'll have to break a code to get to him!"

"A code?" I asked. Jim seemed unwilling to answer; nevertheless, he did.

"The trash cans behind me have buttons inside. Press them and the door opens. But," he said warily, "the buttons are at random." I looked ahead and saw over a dozen trash cans.

"Oh my gosh," was all I could say. I think Jim wished me luck, but the words passed by my ears; I marched to the daunting task ahead of me.

At first I made progress. The Gym Trainers weren't too tough, and at least one of them knew the lieutenant from the army, but at last I found a glowing switch under some trash. "Hey! There's a switch under the trash!" I turned it on, but when I pressed a switch in the next trash can, a warning beep expelled and the lights deactivated.

"Hey! The electric locks were reset!" I yelled in frustration.

"Sorry Red," Jim said to me. "But that's how the switches work. If you press the wrong button, they reset."

Shoot shoot shoot! This went from an annoying task to a daunting one. But eventually I found the switch again and used it. "The first electric lock opened!" I said joyfully. I looked to the next can, and there was another glowing switch. I pressed it and an approving beep played out! The second electric lock opened! The motorized door opened and access to the gym leader was granted at last.

I walked up the leader, towering over me with his arms crossed. "Hey, kid! What do you think you're doing here?"

I was intimidated, but I stood my ground and responded, "I'm here to challenge you!"

He could sense my fear. "You won't live long in combat! That's for sure!" Ouch.

"Hey, you may be a Gym Leader, but I've already proved my Pokémon are capable of taking you on!" My show of courage only made him smirk at me.

He pointed toward his belt where his Poké Balls sat. "I tell you kid, Electric Pokémon saved me during the war! They zapped my enemies into paralysis! The same as I'll do to you!"

With our Poké Balls in hand, the battle was ready to begin! I sent out Diggy, and he sent out the mysterious Voltorb. "Hehehe, I see. A Ground type, eh?" I was feeling proud, and so was Diggy, until he said, "You're so dead, kid."

My anger didn't hold back my command; "Diggy! Dig!" Diggy began to dig a hole, but Voltorb made a sharp piercing noise and created a giant boom! And yet, Surge didn't order it to. "Hey, is it allowed to attack without a command?!"

"Oh, it got a command, alright. That was SonicBoom." What? Whatever, Diggy was hurt by the blast, but he made his way underground. When Diggy surfaced, Voltorb was hit hard by my mole's tackle and rolled away into the wall. Surge's first Pokémon was down in one move!

I had to show pride to my newest team member; he did something incredibly amazing, after all. "I'd be impressed kid, but really, type advantage is nothing to be proud about. This game has just begun." Surge was trying to anger me, but I was too happy with Diggy's success to worry. I was going to win without a single loss at this rate!

"Pikachu, let's finish this kid!" The ball that slammed on the floor released his electric mouse, and without a word, it attacked with a Quick Attack! Diggy tried to dodge, but he was stomped on the head critically, leaving my new Pokémon to faint.

"Shoot! You just got lucky; I've got a powerful team ready to take you down!" I knew there was no way I could scare someone as massive and experienced as him, but I had to prove I was ready for whatever he threw at me.

He wagged his finger and said, "Wrong as always, kid. Your power means nothing here. I have powerhouses too, and unlike you, I don't shout every attack and give away my strategy."

Stunned, I set aside the battle and interrogated him. I'm not sure why he was okay with it, but I'm glad he was. "What? Just because I said my strategy doesn't mean I gave anything away! You don't know what I've got planned!"

"True," he replied. "Now that Diglett is gone, it's a new round. But, shouting out Dig like that, I knew that you were just going to spam that. And I knew Voltorb would bite the big one. So I had my two Pokémon combine forces and take you out!"

It made sense; use Voltorb to go halfway, and Pikachu to go the rest. "Still, five to two, Surge! I don't know how you're using your team, but I can still beat you!"

"Perhaps you can," he answered. "But perhaps you'll just unveil your next strategy to me," he said with a sneer. There was no question now; I had to beat Surge, to show him up, and to confirm I wasn't just a kid with luck.

"Go! Nidorino!" I didn't have type advantage, but at this point I didn't need it. "Nidorino! Horn Attack!" Nidorino charged headlong, only slowing when the Pikachu cried out a Growl. It would take some time for Nidorino to end the fight, but not too long. I ordered another Horn Attack, but Pikachu must have done Quick Attack, slamming its body into my Pokémon.

"See, you're showing me your strategy again!" Surge criticized. "You're going to try and push forward again and again and hope you do more damage than I do. Think smarter!" Now he's starting to bug me.

"It doesn't matter! Finish Pikachu with a Poison Sting!" Pikachu did another Quick Attack to injure Nidorino, but it was too close to escape a Poison Sting. With that, Pikachu fell in defeat. "Look, I get it, you want to help me. But so far it looks like I'm doing better than you are!" I reached for Nidorino's Poké Ball and returned him. "And besides, I'm willing to change up Pokémon at least."

"Oh, kid," he sighed. "I tried to warn you. Now you get to lose." What? "Go, Raichu!" A giant mouse burst out of his last Poké Ball, and bore similarities to Pikachu.

I sent out Nidorina, letting my girl get the last bit of action. She wasn't as strong as Nidorino, but I really wasn't worried at all. "Attack with Scratch!"

He calmly made a strange signal with his hands. At that moment, Raichu squeezed itself and shot massive bolts of electricity from its cheeks! The lightning bolts traveled faster than sight could witness and hit Nidorina. She thrashed about in pain as the voltage coursed through her, and after a few seconds, she fainted. "That, boy, was the full power of Raichu."

I stared at Nidorina for several moments, stunned at how easily she fainted, and how I had no way to prevent it in time. "This is why you shouldn't announce things so easily. It's like playing Poker and showing your hand." I returned Nidorina to her ball and looked at Surge, fuming at his repetitive advice. "If I had said Thunderbolt, you'd have just enough time to order a dodge or block or something, and she'd still be a threat."

I really wasn't sure what to say. I was mad at the guy, but he was right. He made me mad at myself; that didn't help the situation at all. "Fine, you're right. Maybe I should be doing these hand signals you're boasting with your team." I reached for my next Pokémon. "But for now, I'll show you the power we truly have, and I won't stop until I've won!"

I threw my Poké Ball to the floor and sent out Nidorino. He knew Nidorina had just fainted, and he wasn't happy either. "Hehe, good, I want a fun fight," Surge said.

With no other way to command my Pokémon, I stuck to the vocal commands; Surge would take advantage of this, but there was still hope yet. "Horn Attack!" The Raichu growled in response, and each time Nidorino tried to get close, Raichu would growl at it.

The fourth time around, I almost expected another growl; instead, Raichu sent out sparks of lightning from its cheeks again! They were as devastating, but when Nidorino got hit, he was paralyzed! "Shoot!" I howled, my plans falling apart again. "Go ahead and Poison Sting!" Raichu still had plenty of health left, but Poison would buy me all the time I needed.

"Oh no, none of that!" was all Surge said as Raichu continued shooting sparks. Nidorino tried to sting the mouse, but the paralysis held him in place, making him a giant target. Fearing the worst, I ordered another Poison Sting, but Raichu fired off the same attack that ended Nidorina; Thunderbolt took down Nidorino as well.

"You're trying kid, but I'm gonna beat the rest of your team now!" No, not a chance! I sent out Oddish to fight now. "Type advantage again?" he asked. "Fine, but this won't end well, kid."

Raichu fired off huge bolts of electricity: Thunderbolt; while Oddish charged with Cut. She left a little mark on the Pokémon's belly, but Raichu wasn't in the red zone yet. Oddish's Grass type prevented death, but I was still worried she'd die to another Thunderbolt.

I immediately ordered an Absorb, but Raichu looked to his master for a split second, lowered its head, and Growled right in Oddish's face.

Anyone facing someone double their height would have reason to be scared. And to be a little weed facing off against a monstrous mouse that just shrieked in your face would be downright terrifying.

But Oddish was different. She fought her fear and sucked all the critical nutrients out of Raichu as much as she could. Surge watched in shock as Raichu's remaining health dwindled down to zero. Oddish jumped back as Raichu fell over and began to dance for joy. And as soon as my brain caught up to the victory, so did I.

After we finished our embarrassing display, the gym leader returned his Raichu and said, "Whoa! You're the real deal, kid! Fine then, take the Thunder Badge!" After checking out my winnings, the lieutenant added, "The Thunder Badge cranks up your Pokémon's speed! It also lets your Pokémon Fly any time, kid!" Wait, they weren't allowed to before? Oops.

"Well, thank you sir, it was an interesting experience challenging you," I responded. I hope I was able to change your mind about me.

He looked at me with the approving eyes Oak would always flash. "You're special, kid!" With that, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a TM. I'm sensing a trend. "Take this!" And so once again I received a TM! "TM24 contains Thunderbolt! Teach it to an Electric Pokémon!" I nodded in approval; I just got a seriously powerful attack thanks to him!

Once the TM was safe, I turned toward him and he said, "A little word of advice, kid! Electricity is sure powerful! But, it's useless against Ground type Pokémon!"

"True," I said, "but you really got around it using that crazy strategy of yours!" He nodded and crossed his arms again.

"Yup, you learn a lot of that when you do as much as me. Believe me, it's a big advantage; surprises every trainers that walks through that door." I took this to heart; this was my next mini-mission. If I could train my Pokémon like he trained his, I'd be so much better as a trainer.

"Thank you so much, Lt. Surge, I won't forget your advice." He nodded one last time, and I turned and left. As I passed by Jim, he was all big smiles as always.

"Whew! That match was electric!" You're telling me. "Anyway, kid, I'll see you at Celadon! That's the next gym you should Tackle!"

Ignoring his pun, I asked, "Alright, what's the best way there? Saffron's closed, after all."

He gazed at the wall, deep in thought, before saying, "Well, you'll need to head west from Lavender Town. The long way is through Rock Tunnel, and the short way is to just go east from here and take the Silence Bridge.

"Alright, thanks!" With a new method to teach, a new badge earned, and a new direction to go, life was looking good!

With the morning hours still reigning supreme, I went to the Pokémon Center to heal up my team. As I was getting them healed, this Cool Trainer looked at me. "The urge to battle with someone you've tangled with before," she said slowly, ominously. "Have you ever had that urge? I'm sure you have."

"True," I said, "but I never really stuck around to face off against them." It never really crossed my mind, but there are some trainers I'd like to fight again, especially for more experience.

"I wanted to battle certain people again over and over, too. So, I've been giving these away. Please, take one!" She gave me this weird machine. On it, it said VS SEEKER. I guess I just obtained the VS Seeker. "Use that device and you'll find trainers looking for a rematch. You have to charge its battery to use it, though."

Oh cool! Not sure why I can't just ask them, but okay. Still, I took it to be polite. "Well, what do I do with it?"

"How do you use the VS Seeker? There's nothing to it." She pulled out her own and showed me the button I need to press. "Use it like beep-beep-beep, and trainers around you will notice. If any trainer wants a rematch, it will let you know immediately." If I understood her right, it would make a noise to attract trainers' attention? Strange… "Charge its battery and use it while you're on the road."

"Well, thanks! Maybe I can find a use for it." She said no problem. "Would you mind saying beep-beep-beep again?" I snickered. She gave me an irritated face, and that was enough to make me back off.

Before leaving Vermilion City, there was one last thing I wanted to do. I remember from my magazines that Vermilion City was the home of the Pokémon Fan Club. It was a little embarrassing to admit being a part of it, but I couldn't pass up the chance to see inside.

However, the building was small and only a few members were inside. Thankfully, one of them was the leader himself! "I chair the Pokémon Fan Club! I have collected over 100 Pokémon!"

"Wow!" I said. "That's amazing; I'm not even close to that yet!"

"Hehe, well, I'd be much higher," he admitted. "However, I'm very fussy when it comes to Pokémon! So," he paused, as if things were about to become even more epic. "Did you come visit to hear about my Pokémon?"

"Yes! I'm trying to complete a Pokédex, after all! Anything you say will be helpful!" I whipped out my Pokédex as proof and waited patiently.

"Good! Then listen up! My favorite Rapidash…" What proceeded was a long, long, long drawn out speech about his horse. "It…cute…lovely…smart…plus…amazing…you think so?" I nodded, but my eyes wished I'd just keep my head down. "...oh yes…it…stunning…kindly…love it! Hug it…when…sleeping…" No kidding… "warm and cuddly…spectacular…ravishing…" It took every inch of my power to keep my head up and my eyes opened. Normally talking about Pokémon would be fine, but he just would not stop talking about that horse.

"…Oops! Look at the time! I kept you too long!" I looked out the window and saw that the sun had set yet again. Another day wasted… "Thanks for hearing me out! I want you to have this!" He gave me a ticket, and I nearly just shoved it in my pocket due to being drowsy. But as I took a quick look, I saw exactly what he gave me. I received a Bike Voucher! "Exchange that for a Bicycle! Don't worry, my Fearow will Fly me anywhere! So, I don't need a bicycle! I hope you like cycling!"

I left the building as hurried as I could. I decided not to get a bike yet, but I definitely wanted to get one as soon as possible. But for now, I decided to do some training to the North and then get as far as I could east before nightfall. I managed to catch a Mankey along the way, but as the sun's light began to fade, I tried to hurry through Vermilion and toward Route 11.

I reached Diglett's Cave, but it was too dark to go further; I set up things for the night. The team noticed a lack of snuggling noises, and it was difficult to see their looks; during my return to Vermilion, I put away my two Poison types. Yes, they were great fighters, but if I wanted to get more Pokémon and raise them like the chairman, I needed to deposit team members. And the Nidos could never be separated, so now I gave them a place to love each other without worry.

The four Pokémon still got along together well. Oddish and Diglett were growing to be fast friends. Maybe it was because they canceled each other out, or maybe it was because their elements needed each other to survive, or maybe it was just friendship; the answer didn't really matter to me. It was my other two that worried me for a minute.

Charmeleon and Beedrill began showing off moves, and I was afraid someone would land a blow, or it would go too far, but they were far too experienced to make a rookie mistake. I smiled at my buddies; they really showed why they're my second and third in commands.

After my daily call to Mom, I told the team to prepare for a good night's rest; there were no cities until Lavender Town. And even if Lavender has a Pokémon Center, it would take awhile to get there.

Diglett had fun digging a bunch of holes for Oddish to try for a bed. Charmeleon and Beedrill slept in their usual positions, and I missed hearing the lovers behind my head. Still, I had to move forward, and so I rested my eyes, waiting for the moment when the sun would peel them open.

Or at least that's what I wanted. It's not what I got, of course; instead, I got tripped over by an engineer. The worker, as tired as I was, apologized and went on his way, working on something I didn't care about. I nursed my wound, and gathered my team up. Today was a big day, and we had a lot of ground to cover.

With several trainer battles won, and several Pokémon caught, including my new team member, Daydreamer the Drowzee, we at least made it to the lookout station of Route 11.

I ran into the worker, but rather than apologize, he acted like we never met. Maybe he was too tired to recognize me, but after Oddish took down his Magneton, Oddish stood still for a second. I was confused, but only for a second, as a bright light enveloped Oddish! I immediately recognized this from Charmeleon; Oddish was evolving! Her head leaves formed a giant flower and she grew arms! I was surprised she evolved so soon, but I was glad to have my new Gloom!

A man stood inside the station. He looked bored, but he talked about a guy in Lavender Town who rated nicknames. That seems kind of mean to rate someone's name, but whatever. This guard station was bigger than the others, having a second floor with people inside.

There was a kid wanting a trade, and another one of Professor Oak's aides! "Hi! Remember me? I'm Professor Oak's aide!" They all must have egos then. "If you caught 30 kinds of Pokémon, I'm supposed to give you an Itemfinder!" Itemfinders were expensive variations of metal detectors, but they were definitely more effective. Mom rented one once, and it worked well.

"So, Red! Have you caught at least 30 kinds of Pokémon?" As nice as the device would be, I couldn't lie, so I shook my head. "Oh. I see." Sheesh, when you say it like that, you make it seem like I committed a crime… "When you get 30 kinds, come back for Itemfinder."

Before I left, I looked through each set of binoculars. The first set showed me a giant Pokémon, and the second showed me a cave spanning between Cerulean and Lavender. To my knowledge, it was the Rock Tunnel. I'd rather not crawl around in another cave.

I stepped back downstairs and went through the other day. I waited so long already, and I was ready to hit Lavender Town.

The wait would be longer. Sitting in front of me was the giant Pokémon I saw from the binoculars. Strangely, it wasn't threatened by my presence, so I wasn't sure how to go about fighting it; it just kept sleeping on the path to the next route.

I didn't want to cast the first stone, but I needed to get past the wannabe wall, so I sent out Gloom to attack with Absorb. But as soon as I did, the Snorlax just kept sleeping. I figured after several Absorbs, it should have fainted, but when it finally woke up, it just went right back to sleep and healed completely! Frustrated, I figured this must be a move that induces sleep, but heals too.

"Fine! Sleep for now, but you'll run out of PP eventually!" After a barrage of Cuts and Absorbs, Snorlax finally ran out of PP and stared at me angrily. I was afraid, but ready for battle. He lifted his paw and I was ready to send out Charmeleon, when instead it reached down and picked up a berry. It tossed the berry in its mouth and went right back to sleep.

I wanted to fall over to celebrate my failure, but I saw an even worse sign: there was a huge pile of berries next to him on the other side. Yeah, I'm not going this way.

I stepped out to the west of the guard station; I saw the colors of the land shifting with the setting sun. If I couldn't get to Lavender using Route 11, I'd have to use Rock Tunnel.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Caves were all over Kanto; it was only a matter of time before I'd go through another one. But as I passed by Diglett's Cave, I wondered if I should go through it. After all, the Gym Leader of Viridian might be back, and I could even go visit Mom! I made up my mind and journeyed inside.

Diglett enjoyed being home, but I assured him he'd have a new home when we got back to Pallet Town, so he wasted no time beating down his old neighbors. Thankfully the cave wasn't too long, which gave me some hope that Rock Tunnel would be the same way. But as we stepped outside, night had already fallen. I returned Diglett and ran as fast as I could.

Along the way I met with yet another aide of Oak's! No idea how he knew I'd come this way, but he held just as big an ego as the other two. "If you caught 10 kinds of Pokémon, I'm supposed to give you an HM05!" Another Hidden Machine? Wow, very nice! I showed him my Pokédex, so he said, "Great! You have caught 25 kinds of Pokémon! Congratulations! Here you go!" With a new HM in hand, this day was looking better and better!

"The HM Flash lights even the darkest dungeons." I thanked the man and went on my way. I guess he was happy to stick around, even if I wasn't.

Within no time, I arrived in Pallet. Already I could smell Mom's cooking, and the moment I walked in, she was stunned speechless. But words weren't necessary, and she just wrapped her arms around me instead.

We talked about how my day went and my journey so far. She was impressed to see my Pokémon, especially at how much Charmeleon grew. She had less kindness to Diglett though, as he slammed himself through the floorboards to hide his feet. "Being embarrassed is one thing; ruining my floor is another!"

Nevertheless, she made extras for all of us and we all got to eat well. Diglett was a little stunned to see Gloom; he was expecting a midget like him. Nevertheless, they were friends, and they were having fun like friends should. Charmeleon introduced Beedrill to Mom; she normally hated bugs, but Beedrill acted like a true gentleman, so she was in a strange sort of awe. Daydreamer, my new Drowzee, examined all the decorations. Clearly he was in his own awe.

Mom finally made me go to bed, and the rest of us readied for bed as well. Since Gloom didn't need a hole anymore (to Diglett's disappoint), she slept next to Diglett, and Diglett just stayed in his hole the entire night. Charmeleon had to keep his tail safe from lighting anything on fire; it was quite a hassle, but we somehow did it by suspending his tail with ropes. Daydreamer took forever to get to lie down though; he kept sniffing the computer and the TV and anything else in his path, but Mom and I finally got him to sniff the bed and examine it. That was enough for him to get the message, and Mom tucked me in for the night.

As we ate breakfast, Mom was a little frazzled. Feeding seven mouths was hard enough, but having a tapir watch you cook must be stressful. As I sat eating with everyone around the table (Diglett was under the house digging), I asked Mom about Yellow and Green. Sure enough, they finally got their Trainer Cards and left together. It would be cool if I could catch up with them, and Mom confirmed they only left two days ago.

After a delicious load of omelets, we all said our goodbyes. Mom hated seeing us go, but I promised I'd be back soon. With that, I took off again and decided to see Oak for a quick visit. "Good to see you! How is your Pokédex coming? Here, let me take a look!"

I handed him my Pokédex with pride. "Pokédex completion is: 60 Pokémon seen, 25 Pokémon owned. My rating? You still need more Pokémon!" Gosh, you don't need to put such attitude into it, I'm trying. "Try to catch other species!"

"Yes sir," I said bleakly. He didn't notice how I felt, so I just decided to leave. I did see one thing however: the last Poké Ball was gone.

At last I was back in Viridian City, and I immediately went to the gym. But to my dismay, the doors were still locked. "Shoot!" I looked to the guy still sitting by the door. "Still bored?"

"Yup. Still training?"

"Yup." Still weird.

Thanks to Gloom, we hacked away with Cut and took Route 2 to Pewter City; there was no longer a need to travel through Viridian Forest. As I entered Pewter, an idea came to me. I withdrew Handlebar from the Pokémon Storage System and made her a part of my team. Since she needed to evolve and the journey through Mt. Moon would be kind of pointless anyway, it was a good chance to train up some of my backup Pokémon.

"Red!" Normally someone calling my name was a sign that I'd be in a fight with Blue, but for once I was pleased at whom I saw.

"Yellow!" Yellow, my friend and neighbor, just left the nurse, a Pikachu right behind him. "Woah, you got a PokéPet license?!"

"Hehe," he blushed, "well, Oak had to give it to me. Pikachu wouldn't stay in his ball." Pikachu nodded in agreement. "Besides, we're good pals now!" The Pikachu surprisingly shouted its name in joy. I didn't think Pokémon could say their names…

"Um, well, anyway, you beat Brock?" I asked.

"Yes I did!" He gave me a look over. "Wait, are you just getting here now?! I mean, I knew I was better, but-"

"No! I just came back home for a visit. I'm already going for my fourth badge." Yellow was shocked to hear I got so far, but that only made me feel good inside. "So where's Green? I figured she'd be with you."

"Oh, yeah, we split up." I asked if anything went wrong, but he quickly shook that thought away. "Nah, it's just she beat Brock first and I told her to go on without me. I, uh, had to fight him twice."

"Don't be embarrassed, dude, he was a hard fight for me too." That picked up his spirits a bit. "Well, I'm glad to see you again."

"Yeah," he said. "Hey, if you're heading to Cerulean City, you wanna team up until we get there? Could be lots of fun!" It wasn't a bad idea, so I agreed and we left Pewter City.

The journey to Mt. Moon was a bit slower than I hoped, but fighting double-battles with Yellow was fun. His Pikachu was still low in levels, but it was definitely special in more ways than one. Once we reached the mountain, we healed up. Unfortunately, I met a familiar face.

"Hello there, laddies! Have I got a deal just for you!" No… "I'll let you have a swell Magikarp for just 500! What do you say?"

"Hmm, a Magikarp," Yellow pondered aloud. "I've heard of that before. It's good, right?" You're kidding me, right?

"YES!" the man shouted. After the stares of terror from nearby trainers subsided, the man continued. "Just hand over your money and you'll get the ultimate Pokémon!"

"Oh really?" I said, and the man turned to look at me. He didn't like me, but it took a few seconds before he recognized me. His face turned pale in horror. "I said no refunds!" With that, he turned and ran right out of the center.

"Dude!" Yellow said to me. "Why did you scare him? I wanted that Pokémon?" I spent a good ten minutes ignoring Yellow after that.

With Yellow by my side, the cave-dwellers ignored us, focusing on unaccompanied trainers. A few Zubat or Geodude would try to take us on as a team, but they really didn't stand a chance. We reached the final hallway of Mt. Moon, approaching Miguel the fossil excavator again. He wasn't alone.

"Stop right there!" the man said to us, with Miguel's shirt collar in his clutches.

"That fossil is Team Rocket's!" the lady next to him added, a Meowth next to her.

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!" they said in unison. I grabbed my Poké Ball and prepared to toss it, but when I looked over to Yellow, he was just face-palming.

"Why is it always you three? Just, just why?" He knew Miguel? Did I dare to ask of the history?

But my question was answered. And it nearly gave me a heart attack too. "You again?! Listen twerp, stop following us already! Or else!" The Meowth talked.

"Or else what? You'll sing? I don't have time for your dumb motto today!" I really wasn't sure what to say, and looking to Miguel, he was just as lost as me.

"Um, did, did that Meowth just talk?" This had to be the most awkward encounter I ever had with Team Rocket grunts.

"Believe me, it gets less impressive after you fight them half a dozen times," Yellow said with exasperation.

"Oh, that's it!" the Meowth…said. "Let's just beat them up already!"

Yellow just sighed and said, "Yeah, let's just do this." The Rockets were obviously annoyed, and sent out their Ekans and Koffing to fight. With Daydreamer and Pikachu, they didn't stand a chance, and even with Meowth attacking at the end; it was so weak it went down just as easily.

"This…was interesting," was all I managed to say.

"A brat beat us?!" the girl said.

"Two brats!" the man added.

"You both really are stinkers, you know that!" the Meowth finished.

"As amusing as this madhouse is," I said, "I think it's time you three went to jail for your crimes."

They shook their heads and wagged their fingers, as if they had more authority than I did. In unison, all three said, "Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!" With a Smoke Ball, the three vanished, leaving the three of us and our Pokémon dumbfounded.

Going through Mt. Moon the second time was definitely a new experience; fewer Rockets to deal with gave more time to admire the scenery, and dealing with those three grunts taught me that I should expect the unexpected.

But how do you expect a Pokémon to start speaking like a human? "So that's Cerulean City?" Yellow asked me.

"Yup," I said. We stood for a minute and just stared at the lights of the small city sparkle. In my haste, I never had a chance to admire Cerulean from afar, and it really was beautiful. We decided to spend the night together before reaching the city, just so we could fall asleep with splendor in our eyes.

We let out all our Pokémon and they all began to interact. Handlebar, now a Metapod, was very friendly with Yellow's Butterfree; at least I think so, it was kind of hard to tell apart a Metapod's expressions. Beedrill eventually came over and talked with Butterfree. I guess Bug types can easily get along, although Beedrill did look jealous.

Pikachu and Charmeleon were talking about something; if I had to guess, it was about previous experiences and each other's teams. Charmeleon kept pointing out my Pokémon and looked like he was filled with pride. Pikachu seemed to defend his two partners as well.

Pidgeotto and Diglett were also talking, but it looked more like arguing. Pidgeotto kept raising his wing to the sky, while Diglett hopped up and down in the ground. Type talk? No idea, but it was one of the craziest sights I've seen. And I've seen plenty of that today.

Gloom and Daydreamer sat together and admired the view. Daydreamer was fascinated as always, and I guess Gloom wanted to try and be the mediator of the group. Yellow got engrossed in a conversation with his mother, and I was reminded to call Mom as well. She was already missing me again. But I made sure that we were fine, told her about Yellow, and that seemed like enough satisfaction to let me go eat.

When dinner was done, we all settled in for the night. Yellow was surprised at my idea to allow Pokémon to sleep out of the ball, so he took it on and allowed his two others to follow my team's example. Diglett dug a hole near Gloom and the two slept leaning on my right side. Daydreamer slept at my feet. He behaved, but I worried he would take interest in my shoes. Handlebar slept on my left, squeezed between the curled up Beedrill and myself. Charmeleon stared into the sky; it was as if he dreamed of touching it himself.

When we arrived in Cerulean City, I gave Yellow a bit of advice and told him where everything was. We each thanked each other for a fun trip together and promised to have a match once he was ready. He headed for Route 24 to train, and I headed into town to take care of some business.

"Oh, Red, it's good to see you!" Melanie said. "What brings you back to Cerulean?"

"Oh, just passing through, doing some training before I go to Rock Tunnel."

"Rock Tunnel?! Wow…you've certainly grown a lot if you're going to take on that gargantuan cave." I gave her a worried look, and she noticed and tried to rectify the situation. "Don't worry; I'm sure you can handle it! Just remember, it's a lot tougher than Mt. Moon. Keep your wits about you and all that." I nodded in agreement. "Actually, I'd let you have Bulbasaur if you want."

"What? Really? But, isn't he yours?!"

"Well, kind of," Melanie responded. "I've been raising him, but only to help him recuperate. Truthfully he's still got a day or two left to get better. But if you're patient and need a grass type, he'll serve you for great justice."

I felt guilty to think about it, but it was a great idea. Having another starter-type on my team would make me beat Blue to a pulp.

And yet, that would be too easy. If I was ever going to complete my Pokédex, I'd need a Bulbasaur someday. But I will get it one day, no matter what it takes.

"Sorry Melanie, but I don't think I should slow down my training." She actually looked sad, and I think I knew why. "But don't worry, I know who can give Bulbasaur a good home. Make him strong and stuff. My friend, Yellow, he's bound to pass by here. You give him Bulbasaur, and he'll be a titan of a Pokémon." She smiled so big, she couldn't help but give me a hug. It felt awkward, but good, and we were both happier.

"Thanks Red," she replied. "Well, I better not hold you up. Go prove yourself to be champion material. Just uh, be careful, because little Bulbasaur here will give you a challenge you'll never forget." With one last smirk, I left the little house full of injured Pokémon and went south; it was time to retrieve an old friend.

"Your Rattata has grown a lot!" the Daycare man said. Honestly, I had been worried he forgot who I was. "By level, it's grown by 5!" Not bad! "Aren't I great?"

"Um, sure." This guy is so weird. Emotionless and yet has an ego?

"You owe me $600 for the return of this Pokémon." I couldn't tell if that was expensive, but I figured it was worth it, so I gave him the cash. "Thank you! Here's your Pokémon!"

I got Rattata back! I was tempted to let her out right now, but I'd wait till I got outside first. I then released her from my ball, and she jumped at me with wide joyous eyes. Rattata really had grown a lot, and now was the same level as Beedrill! I decided that the training this guy provided must be top notch, and worth repeating.

It was a hard decision, but in the end I went with Diggy. Charmeleon, Beedrill, and Gloom all proved themselves too valuable for the team, and Handlebar was just about to evolve. Daydreamer was a little weird, but I figured letting him be trained by another guy wouldn't help his quirky personality.

Before I went in I decided to let everyone give a farewell to Diglett and greet my old pal. When everyone saw a Rattata instead of a Drowzee (I had put him in my Box), they were confused. However, that confusion quickly passed and Charmeleon and Beedrill happily greeted Rattata. Gloom walked over as well; she wasn't as familiar, but they still knew each other.

On the other hand, Diggy and Handlebar were confused, but Handlebar took a leery eye at Rattata before finally giving in and taking on happy eyes…I think. I really need to evolve her…

After the other two did a meet-and-greet, I said to them all, "Alright guys, giving up Rattata, I felt bad about leaving her. I'm glad she's back, stronger than ever and looking just as happy as always, but it's time to separate again." This was hard for me, and the others looked worried about what I would say next.

But I had to say it. "Diggy, I want you to stay here with the Daycare. You'll get so much stronger and you'll be a much bigger help!" He looked scared and faced Gloom for an answer. I'll never know what Gloom said to him, but in the end he nodded and his head drooped.

I didn't want to let him go, but I knew he'd be better for it. "Return." He zapped away back inside my ball, and everyone, even Rattata, looked sad. "Don't worry guys, he'll be okay, I promise." The uncertainly slowly wore away, and they all gave me a smile. Except Handlebar; she used her eyes.

With everyone returned, I went inside and gave Diggy away. I made a promise to come back for him someday; I just didn't know when that day would be.

The journey on Route 9 had begun. Daydreamer was back in my party, and Rattata and Handlebar finally evolved! It wasn't in the same battle sadly, but I was still very happy. Raticate also fit back in with the team really well, and we were all glad to have her.

The bittersweet day was very quiet, filled with battles and training with Surge's gesture technique. A Picnicker also tried to make me hers. Yeah, it was as weird as it sounds. Nevertheless, thanks to her, I had a Raticate. And thanks to Hiker Jeremy, I had a Butterfree. After catching the mysterious Voltorb named Deceit, we reached a Pokémon Center, and I healed up my team once again.

The sun was setting, and because I didn't want to go into Rock Tunnel tonight, I instead sat and watched the sun fall down behind the hills. I let the whole team out since nobody was around to really care, and everyone enjoyed themselves.

Beedrill was impressed by Handlebar's evolution, and they flew along a nearby river. Beedrill would send a splash at her and she'd get a little mad before whipping the wind up and send droplets back at him. If I could understand them, I'd bet they were laughing a lot.

Gloom rested her feet in the water, absorbing all the nutrients it offered her. She seemed lonely with Diggy gone, but Daydreamer came over after sniffing the grass and cheered her up. He was a weirdo, but he had a good heart.

As for Charmeleon and Raticate, they stood by my side, admiring all the beauty around them. Charmeleon had Raticate show off her new strength and moves, as if he was testing her value. But she was too happy to say no, and they had a safe sparring match.

I was getting a bit bored of just sitting around, so I decided to make a game. I had everyone line up and told them to race to the south hill wall and run all the way back to the Poké Center. I told them they could use any move to help them, but they were only allowed to use that move once. Everyone seemed excited and lined up.

"Ready!" Everyone got into a runner's pose. "Set!" So many smiles, you'd think it was a party. "Go!" And they were off! Charmeleon took the lead, followed closely by Beedrill and Handlebar! Raticate was right behind the three racers, but how long would that last? Daydreamer and Gloom had the hardest time keeping up, so Daydreamer got on all fours to raise his chances!

Despite Charmeleon's initial lead, Raticate got ahead and touched the wall first! Charmeleon and Beedrill were right behind her, and Handlebar began to tire. Daydreamer caught up to Handlebar, but he couldn't get past her. Gloom had tired down too, and I was starting to feel guilty for her.

The boys were jealous of Raticate's lead and tried to take charge! Beedrill fired a Poison Sting and Charmeleon did SmokeScreen, both at Raticate! She dodged Poison Sting but couldn't avoid the smoke barrier, giving the males a chance to get ahead! Handlebar looked annoyed at Beedrill for attacking, but I did give him permission…

Daydreamer touched the wall and Handlebar followed suit, heading for the finish line. Gloom approached the cloud of smoke while Raticate, Beedrill, and Charmeleon were still inside. Suddenly, just as the three jumped out, Gloom shot spores into the air! Before they could move another muscle, they were all hit by the spores and slowed down to a crawl before falling over; they were asleep!

I could see Gloom smirk back at me before waltzing through the cloud of smoke, satisfied with her victory. However, I thought Daydreamer and Handlebar would still win, until they left the cloud, even slower than before! Gloom must have used PoisonPowder, and now they were too busy coughing to keep going at full speed!

Still, I figured they had a large enough lead, but Gloom continued to surprise! With a decent Speed stat, she managed to catch up with the three and even passed them by! Daydreamer and Handlebar did their best to ignore the poison and catch up, but Gloom had too tight of a lead.

Raticate finally woke up and saw how much ground she lost. But Quick Attack changed that! She moved so fast, and even if it didn't catch her up, she was right behind Handlebar now! Raticate tried to reach first place in time, but Gloom pushed past her limit and ran to the wall with seconds to spare!

The two leading males finally woke up as the smoke blew away, and came over to congratulate everyone who beat them. Raticate proudly boosted Gloom on her shoulders and they danced around in victory. I patted Gloom on the head and said how proud I was of every one of them. I don't remember ever seeing them this happy until today.

Little kids are afraid of the dark. Sure, not all of them, but there are enough in the world to be noticed. And sometimes that fear lives on as they get older. Usually it's just a minor thing, but for some, it's huge. For me, it was never a problem. Until I walked down the ladder into Rock Tunnel.

The darkness inside the cave was a black hole, and the light from the entrance was obscured so much that it hardly mattered. For the first time ever, I was afraid of the dark. Or perhaps not the dark, but what it contained.

Thankfully, I had a solution. Flash, the bringer of light, would solve the problem of endless shadows. It was a tough decision, but in the end I taught it to Daydreamer. I sent him out and told him to use Flash, as well as instructing him on the hand signal in case we ever needed it in battle.

As soon as we got it down, I said, "Daydreamer! Use Flash!" He began to glow dully, and then suddenly exploded in light and a blinding Flash lit the area! I shielded my eyes, and when they came to focus again, the area was incredibly bright thanks to the shine from Daydreamer. "Um, thanks buddy," I said with stunned eyes. "Lead the way?"

Although I was unsure of the legality, I needed Daydreamer out so I could be sure the lights stayed around. Just like Mt. Moon, there were jewels that shined with light, but unlike Mt. Moon, as soon as we passed, the light faded from the roof crystals. Perhaps Mt. Moon was more special than I thought.

Nevertheless, the travel through Rock Tunnel was still hard. I managed to catch Kara-Tee the Machop, but lost Handlebar, Gloom, and Beedrill. I kept Daydreamer out of most battles to protect him, but when times get tough, even he had to fight.

During the battle against a PokéManiac, things got really bad. While Daydreamer only showed himself to gain experience, Charmeleon and Raticate were not so lucky, and the damage they took was more devastating than I expected. They barely survived the battle, but it was clear we should head back.

I dug through my bag and found my Escape Rope. I didn't come well prepared, but I wasn't expected Rock Tunnel to be as rigorous as Mt. Moon; at least with my experience. The rope activated its magic (not literally of course), and sent me back to the Pokémon Center.

I did some considering, and I realized Handlebar just wasn't cut out for this cave. She had reached her final form, but I needed all the strength I could get for Rock Tunnel. And who better to guide me than a Rock type: I withdrew Ninety for my next round.

Despite being the weakest of the team, Ninety was resilient and proved he was willing to take on all-comers. This was far from Ninety's original home, but he had a way of knowing where to go, so he was a great navigator.

The second pass through the cave was easier going too. It was going to be a hard journey, but we managed to gain ground. Granted, even against another Geodude, my Geodude couldn't stand strong for long, but he never once questioned my command.

Our next opponent was a Hiker named Eric. But then, the worst happened. I foolishly sent Daydreamer, totally sure that his type advantage over Eric's Machop would guarantee a win. However, that didn't happen; a critical hit did. As Daydreamer collapsed and I returned him to his ball, already the light began to fade from the rocks.

The shadows that once fought against the light began to meld with it, and soon we would be consumed. The Hiker had no fear, and demanded I continue. I took a moment to think, and realized Charmeleon had a little light.

"Go! Charmeleon!" I don't often rely on the phrase to psych myself up, but suddenly my fears were budding in this new situation. With one Scratch, Machop was done, but the Pat Benatar fan declared his next Pokémon: Onix. Gloom could win, but the lights would die away, and then Gloom's accuracy would be doomed.

With all this in mind, I stuck with Charmeleon, having faith in Metal Claw. What I didn't expect was for Onix to give Charmeleon a hard time. He pulled through, but Onix landed enough critical hits to make myself unpleasant. Rock Tunnel was turning into a beast, but I knew I had to get through, and my Pokémon wanted to get through as much as I did.

Without Flash, we had to walk through the cave, and Charmeleon did his best to spread as much light. Even with Ember, the stones would barely light up, so we were as blind as a Zubat. And because Charmeleon was now far too important, I had him stay out of the action completely. This lead to a lot of pain for other team members, but Gloom managed to pick up the slack.

Until Hiker Lucas came along. As soon as I sent Gloom in, his Graveler used Selfdestruct! Gloom was gone, and my team was looking weak as I stared upon his second Graveler. Tired and surrounded by the darkness, I was worried. Still, Raticate had this fight won, and one last Hyper Fang would end the battle. But Lucas wasn't losing reasonably.

"Selfdestruct!" he shouted. Before my eyes, the four-armed beast dashed and clutched Raticate! With no hope left, Graveler lit up slightly before unleashing a blinding explosion, leaving us down another team member.

Even with that battle over, the continuing fights left the entire team decimated. Charmeleon and I were the only survivors. I considered forcing Daydreamer out so he could use Flash. The great thing about HMs were that they could be used non-offensively and without PP cost, and even better, with the Pokémon fainted.

Oak, however, taught us something different. When a Pokémon faints, it's still somewhat conscious, but no longer has the will to fight. It's exhausted and unable to battle, and that's why Pokémon battles are decided that way. But it can still use HMs and even move if it has to. But if you've been beaten up to a pulp, you won't want to.

Out of respect, I let him be. I knew I was close. The end had to be close. And yet my morals said to go back. If I lost now, I'd have to walk back to the Center alone, in the dark. And worse, my team would take a huge morality blow. There's always a time to surrender and regroup, and this is now.

"Charmeleon, let's go." Clearly he was disappointed too, but he was too tired to debate my decision. I'm sure he agrees. Going back through Rock Tunnel was easy and hard at the same time. I remembered the paths, but it was tough to spot them going backwards. And worse, Charmeleon was feeling too tired to do much of anything.

So when an Onix attacked us, we really were condemned. The beast exploded from the ground, so we tried to run, but it made sure we stayed with a Bind attack! Charmeleon couldn't see it coming, so the snake wrapped itself around my Pokémon without fail.

"Metal Claw!" I frantically yelled. He landed the hit, but Onix only angered and squeezed again, landing a critical hit in addition to the indefinite pain. I ordered the attack again, and Charmeleon used the last of his strength to shove his claws straight into Onix!

It yelled in pain, but as it fell over, the last of Onix's Bind crushed the remaining life out of Charmeleon.

That was it. Everyone had fainted. I was alone.

I was alone once. It was raining, and being a dumb kid, I ran off to play in the rain. Mom kept an eye on me at first, but I saw something. Something shiny. What a way to get in trouble, right? I ran for it, and before Mom could think, I was lost to the dark. It only took her a few minutes to find me, but when she did, I was muddy, wet, and crying. I can't remember why, but since then Mom always lectured against going somewhere scary on your own.

And yet here I am. I returned Charmeleon, and within moments, the remaining light faded away into nothing. No light. In desperation, I pulled out my phone and Pokédex, but the light was hardly brag-worthy. I felt some regret summoning Daydreamer, but he'd happily offer, especially for something like this.

And with that, we began our trek back out of Rock Tunnel. The humiliation of walking back a loser was a constant thought in my mind. I felt guilty that it almost overtook my thoughts for my team, but I knew they too would be disappointed. Just judging by Daydreamer's eyes, he was disappointed too.

But he was also scared. I was about to ask why when I saw the reason: a Zubat, flying straight toward us. Fearful of what damage the bat could do, I returned Daydreamer for safety. The bat lost interest once he was gone, but the light crystals were already fading again. I counted to 10 and sent him back out. "Let me know if you see another one, okay?"

Daydreamer nodded, and we marched on. I considered asking the trainers nearby for help, but they were sleeping, which meant that the sun must have set already. And since I couldn't get reception inside the cave, Mom would have more reason to worry than today's events.

A few more Pokémon got in our way, but nothing drastic happened. We reached the last floor (or first floor) and began making our way back when I did something foolish. Daydreamer waddled around a big rock, and at first I thought nothing of it.

But as I stepped on it, the rock came to life and threw itself in the air! My foot, being on the rock as I climbed over, was pushed painfully in the wrong direction and sent me falling to the floor.

I laid there for a second and saw the Geodude hover above us. I tried standing, but my foot hurt too much to put pressure on it. Instead, I recalled Daydreamer, and just in time too; Geodude tried to Tackle him!

But that didn't make my situation better. Geodude was only attacking Daydreamer out of respect to Pokémon battling rules. Now the only target left was me.

I dropped to the ground with only seconds before the rock flew by my head! And as if things wanted to get as bad as possible, the lights were shrinking away. My hopes shrank with them.

Desperate, I grabbed whatever Poké Ball I could and threw it. Someone, anyone, would be helpful! I looked, and in the shadows stood my tired but trusty bug. "Beedrill!" I dumbly said. Thankfully, my brain kicked in just in time. "Geodude attacking! Look out!" My dumb luck paid off; Beedrill had night vision, so he was able to dodge Geodude.

I wasn't able to though. As Geodude came flying again, his Tackle led to his arm smacking mine; the pain was not describable. Beedrill noticed me and flew over to pick me up. No doubt he was fatigued, but he still picked me up, ignoring the bruises and injuries.

He didn't know Fly, but he managed to carry me farther than any of my Pokémon could. The Geodude eventually gave up, and Beedrill set me down. Using my cell phone light, I checked over my foot and arm; both were swollen, but not pointing in a gruesome direction.

I shined the light on Beedrill as well, and despite his bruises, he wasn't gravely injured. "Alright, thanks buddy. You better get back inside." I'd rather take my risk with solitude than risk my poison bee. But he apparently disagreed. I tried tossing the ball at him, but he just swatted it away. Even as tired as he was, he was still ready to protect me.

"Alright, but be careful, no fighting." He nodded and we walked toward the entrance; only now following his night vision and my crummy cell phone camera-light. Even though we were tired and surrounded in shadows, we were still bait for an ambush.

Beedrill shrieked as he was flung to the floor, a Zubat on his back! I was accidentally thrown back, but I got up and ran (well, limped) over to him and grabbed the Zubat by its legs and pulled as hard as I could. I knew the fangs wouldn't rip out, but hopefully the pain would be enough to convince the annoyance to let go of Beedrill.

It took a few tugs, but it worked, and I practically threw it away as I checked on Beedrill. He was weak from blood loss, but alive. I helped lift him to his feet, and tired to walk him toward the wall.

But then I felt a strange sensation on the back of my neck. At first it stung horribly, and I moved my free arm to reach for my neck, but I started getting tired. I let my arms fall to my sides, and then I fell to my knees. I started hearing buzzing. Beedrill, maybe? But eh, I was too tired to really play detective.

My arms soon were my only support to keep me up, and my eyelids were pulled by gravity. I looked to Beedrill, but he was gone. Suddenly a massive force slammed into me.

Or rather, the sensation on me. I didn't like that, but I didn't have the strength to care. I slipped to the ground, and felt surrounded once again by the chilling darkness.

"Get away from him!" a weird voice shouted. "He's not a Pokémon, you freak!"

"But I'm hungry!" another voice, a squeaky voice, called out. "And besides, YOU were my meal, and he interrupted! This is vengeance!"

"Vengeance?!" the voice yelled. "We're Pokémon! Are you really that petty?!" There was the sound of flesh being pounded by something heavy, but the noise was hard to make out.

"Pfft, stop being so old-fashioned!" the opposition squeaked. "You know people treat us like vermin! You know we're being used as tools, and even worse by that one organization of black shirts!" This strange banter began to gather interest of anyone nearby.

"Look, bug, face facts! We're enemies! It's why we attack simple humans who walk by! They shouldn't be pardoned, and today, I'm taking action!"

"Get away!" the weird voice said, and sounds of a struggle replaced the dialogue. The "bug" made a growling noise, which was hard to describe, only that a lot of rage was behind its bellow.

The sounds of struggling, flapping, and buzzing eventually quieted down, and then stopped. There was buzzing once again, but much slower, with frequent pauses. Eventually the buzzing reached its loudest point, and there was the voice of the winner. "It's okay, Master Red, we're out of here."

Why the presence worshipped a color was not clear, but it managed to make noises and buzz again, this time without gaining distance. After a few minutes, a strong sensation came, as though light was trying to pierce the shadow blanket. The noisy creature continued to buzz, and the light pushed harder on the wall of dark. And though it never pierced the wall, the light did change direction.

The buzzing made a distinct change, and with it the light swung to the right. The presence stopped again, and a door opened. The weakened darkness was chilled by a breeze and the sounds of other beings boomed and echoed. There were voices. There was a collapse. There was lots of movement. And then there was a hole of sudden light.

A woman looked through the hole and peered inside. She called for others, and the sound of movement occurred again. The hole closed shut, and there was the sensation of many presences, all grabbing and lifting at once. Things began getting confusing, and the calls of the "bug" came forth. All that could be heard was, "Master! Please be okay!"

"Seriously? Are you sure?" Mom asked.

"Hehe, I'm serious," the nurse said. "Your son had a sprained ankle and a big bruise on his arm, but this is all stuff we can handle here. He'll be free by tomorrow."

"Well that's a relief," I said. "But I can't remember what happened still. Is that the poison or what?"

The nurse put her finger to her lip and said, "Hmm, well, Zubat are poison types, and while Leech Life isn't poisonous, it does inject a tiny bit of venom into its victim. And, well, humans can't handle it well. In most cases, they'll just have a lucid dream.

"Either way, I wouldn't worry about it. You'll be fine." She was happy with her success in treating me, but I still had a nagging issue to address.

"What about Beedrill? I know he was doing bad, but he is getting better, right?" The nurse was not so positive looking here.

"Well, yes, he is going to recover. But I'm afraid there's a problem." Mom grabbed my hand and held it tightly. "Your Pokémon took a lot of internal injuries, and we can fix them, but they'll not be the same, and from now on it'll be too dangerous to use in battles."

"Meaning," I managed to say, "he'll never fight again?" She nodded, and the full impact finally hit.

"It's just too much of a risk. If Saffron was still open, we might have fixed him in time, but the extent of the injuries has gone too far." She closed her eyes and waited a moment before continuing. "Operating on Pokémon is incredibly risky because of how vastly they differ from one another, so if he's already healing, it's just not a good idea to put him into surgery now.

The next couple of days passed without any excitement. I spent every second with Beedrill, and once I was free to walk normally again, I helped him walk around outside. His legs were still sore and his wings were still bandaged, but he appreciated the attention.

And of course the others got time to hang out with him too, but they were all wishing we could just leave. But I couldn't leave Beedrill; he was with me since the beginning, and we worked so hard to get this far.

However, he must have agreed with the team. Every day he would point outside. I would take him out, and he would point at the cave. I told him I wasn't ready, but he shook his head and kept pointing. Even when I said no, he'd get the rest of the team to sit outside by the entrance to the cave.

One day, he joined with them while I went inside for a soda, and finally I said, "Guys, I know you want me to go, but I can't leave Beedrill behind." Technically Mom promised to visit and eventually would take him back to Pallet Town, but still, I wanted to stay.

Beedrill walked toward me and rested his giant spikes on my shoulders. He stared me in the eyes, and somehow, that was enough. I could no longer ignore it; he wanted me to go on.

I felt disrespectful for adding a new team member already. But I wasn't going into Rock Tunnel stupid, and Kara-Tee was a Fighting type. This would be our toughest test yet. Mom got me an Escape Rope before she went back home, but I didn't want to use it. I was going to Lavender Town today.

The third trek was easy at first. Ninety rose to be a challenge for even Daydreamer, and he was working hard to prove himself. My guess was he felt bad for Beedrill's loss and was compensating for the whole team.

And while Ninety threw himself at his opponents, pushing himself to the edge of death, Kara-Tee played more laidback. She landed hits without fail, but she wasn't taking risks; a different, and yet effective style.

Still, Kara-Tee didn't go over well with a certain opponent. "Eek! Don't do anything funny in the dark!" Why does every girl think I'm a pervert? After I beat her, she said something about Machops. I looked toward my own, and she just shrugged at the Pickner's peculiarity.

Just when the cave began to test our patience again, a miracle happened. Light came from above; it was the exit! Excited beyond belief, I ran at full speed for the ladder, not caring about my foot acting up. I got up the ladder, and was blinded by the light.

When my eyes adjusted, I saw more hills, a tower, and most importantly, the sky. I took in the fresh air and breathed a sigh of relief. I heard a lot of laughing from afar, but also a cry from under me; I totally forgot about my Drowzee trying to follow me up.

"Oops, sorry Daydreamer." He was not amused, but he was happy to see sunshine at least. "Okay, return buddy."

Once I zapped him away, a female voice called to me. "I'm feeling a bit faint from this tough hike." I went to comfort her; then she decides to fight me. She wasn't very smart. But the very thought of fainting brought about feelings of guilt and I think Charmeleon fed on that as he delivered his Metal Claws to her Pidgey and Pidgeotto.

"I'm not up to it!" The anger that statement brought me was hard to describe, and it took all the chivalry I had to stay polite. But after that, I just hurried to Lavender Town.


	6. Chapter Six: Lavender Town

_**Chapter Six: Lavender Town**_

It was strange; as I entered the town, my mood dropped. I didn't know much about the town: only that it was the home of the deceased Pokémon. It was as if the town emanated that like an aura. I couldn't imagine a sadder place to live, really.

The Pokémon Center was thankfully a bit cheerier, but even it had the faded sense of joy. I really didn't want to stay too much longer, so I gave the town a quick pass. My trek led me to discovering a ghostly hand on my shoulder (or so some boy says), the Lavender Volunteer Pokémon House for abandoned Pokémon, and a Pokémon Mart selling the legendary item Revive.

I didn't have much money, but I definitely bought one; as a last resort, of course. As I began to leave, a wide man with glasses came out with me. "Hello, hello! I am the official Name Rater!"

And at last we meet. "Um, hi," I said politely and shyly. "What are you doing here?"

"Part of the job, my boy. I need special ingredients to change a Pokémon's name."

"Woah, you can do that?" I never really thought about the naming process, but to change the name of a Pokémon would probably be as hard as changing anyone else's name and making it stick.

"Yup!" he boasted. "It's a trade secret, and very complicated, but I can pull it off easily. And for free, I might add," he said with a wink.

The offer did have a bit of appeal. I didn't hate any of the names, but I did have to admit I wasn't a fan of Ninety's name anymore; it was too awkward to say. "Want me to rate the nicknames of your Pokémon?"

Without realizing, we had walked in front of his house already, and I didn't want to keep him out for too long. I nodded, and we walked inside. "Which Pokémon should I look at?"

I took out my Poké Ball containing my Geodude and sent him out. I then told the Name Rater his name.

"Ninety, is it? That is a decent nickname!" You sure like it more than me. "But, would you like me to give it a nicer name? How about it?"

"Yeah, go ahead," I said.

His enthusiasm shining through, he said, "Fine! What should we name it?"

I added to my request, "I want something cool that fits his nature."

"Hmm," he said to himself. "Calcite?" Seeing my confusion, he explained the origin of the carbonate mineral, and it sounded really cool to my youthful and child-like mind.

I nodded with a smile. He then began a strange process, letting my Geodude smell herbs, using hypnotic coins, and other strange whispers. After a minute, he declared, "Okay! This Pokémon has been renamed Calcite! That's a better name than before!"

Calcite turned to me, and he seemed even happier than I remembered. I guess I can't argue with positive results. "It's a great name, Calcite. Enjoy it." He nodded…I think (can rocks nod?), and then I returned him to his Poké Ball. "Thanks again, sir." The man bowed in respect, and after I did, I went on my way.

I began my walk to the west to Saffron City. Hopefully Saffron would be open from the east. But my mission in Lavender was not over yet.

Have you ever had the feeling of another presence? As though someone else was there? I'd lie if I said I didn't, but I always attributed the feeling to a natural cause, a trick of the mind. The closest to the supernatural are Ghost Pokémon, and there are some scientists who believe Ghost types are really just gaseous forms of matter.

But not today; like the boy had said before, the feeling of a hand came on my shoulder. This time, I felt it. At first I tried to shake it off, but when I noticed no person, no Pokémon, nothing, I was afraid I was going crazy.

I took more steps away from Lavender, out of the border, but not out of eyesight. So when the hand came on my shoulder again, I tried to run away from town. Instead the shrill cry of a Pokémon hovered in the dusky day.

Finally, I tried calling out for the culprit. "Show yourself! What do you want?!" But the noise was gone again. Clearly, this was a sign, and I could only assume some Pokémon was trying to play tricks on me. "Whatever you are, I'm not playing your game!"

I continued my march, but for the fourth time, the hand landed on me. But this time anger replaced fear. "Stop it!" The feeling was gone. "What do you want from me?!" At last, a sign presented itself. As I stared at Lavender, I felt something shove me from behind, pushing me toward the town.

I retaliated with words, but the offender stayed hidden. "Fine, I get it," I said aloud. "You're some ghost, and you want me to go the tower, right?" A minute passed; no answer in sight. "Fine, I'll go."

Trusting a ghost that didn't trust you…that's a bad thing, right? Either way, guess I definitely believe in ghosts now.

Entering the Pokémon Tower was a very solemn experience. The mood was somber, and with appropriate reason, but that didn't mean I wanted to be here. The ghost stalker never made a reappearance, so I climbed to the second floor without interruption. That job was reserved for someone else.

"Hey, Red! What brings you here?" Of course he'd be here, he is everywhere after all. Still, I wasn't sure how to answer his question; at least without sounding insane. "Your Pokémon don't look dead!" Silly me, he did my job for me. "I can at least make them faint!" The disrespect marches on. "Let's go, pal!"

Calcite as a starter brought me a major advantage: a wall. And Blue's Pidgeotto would definitely be at a disadvantage. "Quick Attack!" Blue ordered.

The bird tried to slice Calcite with its foot claws, but Calcite was too hard to cut through. Calcite was new to the team, but he already had an idea of what my hand movements meant. He looked back to see me order a Rock Throw, and tossed it with amazing strength!

Blue was dumbfounded at how I got Calcite to attack without words, but that wasn't enough. Unfortunately, the Quick Attack had a purpose, and allowed Pidgeotto to dodge the boulders with ease. "Keep tossing, Calcite!" I said.

"Gust!" Blue shouted, albeit weakly. Blue was desperate to keep those rocks away, but he seemed out of it. Still, Geodude's throwing arm was top-notch! "Blast it! Gust again!"

Calcite was preparing his third Rock Throw, and couldn't dodge the Gust in time; even worse, he was hit critically! "Calcite, it's okay, just throw again!" But the Rock Pokémon had a look of anger in his eyes. Apparently he wasn't a fan of critical hits. With all his might, he tossed his last boulder, faster than I thought possible, and slammed a critical hit on Pidgeotto!

"Bah! You and your type advantages!" Blue grumbled as he zapped away Pidgeotto. "I choose you, Growlithe!" I couldn't understand the choice of his new fire-breathing guard dog, so I stuck with Calcite and his advantage.

With another motion, I ordered a Tackle to test the waters. Blue, still melancholy, ordered Leer, and suddenly I understood. "Not a bad plan, Blue," I admitted. "Trying to lower Calcite's defenses. But I'll finish you before you can land a hit!"

"We'll see!" Blue yelled. Tackle had hit critically, but Leer was doing its job. Blue's new Growlithe then tried to Bite, but the damage wasn't enough. However, that wasn't the point.

"Calcite flinched?!" I said, clearly shocked. Blue gloated with words I didn't listen to, but as I ordered a Rock Throw to the cringing Pokémon, Growlithe went for another Bite! But Calcite was ready this time, and with another Rock Throw, his dog was down!

Blue stood there for a whole minute, just staring, his eyes filled with raging water. I tried calling out to him, but he wouldn't answer. At last he said, "Fine! Go, Exeggcute!"

I honestly didn't know what to expect. It was a whole new Pokémon to me. But I never expected it to look like actual eggs! "Um," I said with a pause, "so your next Pokémon...is six little eggs?"

"Go ahead, switch if you dare," was all he said. Looking it up quickly, I could see it was a Grass type, so I had the perfect answer. However, his expression was too difficult to read, and I didn't want to bring Charmeleon in just yet.

"Go! Raticate!" That got him to emote. But I still couldn't understand what this emotion was.

After a pause, he answered. "So, still using a Raticate, eh?" I was confused by this, so he continued. "I'll say this; you'll regret having it on your team. Right now!" His cocky attitude is back; the lack of it was truly scary.

As I motioned Raticate to Hyper Fang, Blue said, "Exeggcute, Barrage!" I didn't know what it was, but as Raticate bit one of the eggs, two of the others flung themselves at her! The damage was minimal, but Raticate was caught oblivious.

"The signature attack of my buddies!" Blue boasted. I signaled a Quick Attack, but that only gave Blue what he wanted. "Hypnosis!" Blue didn't know what Raticate was going to do, but he knew she'd get in close, and now she was asleep!

"Shoot! Wake up!" I said in vain. Since Raticate was asleep, I'd have to call out orders, but hand signals were less important than survival.

"Barrage!" Two more eggs flew at Raticate. The biggest was somehow tossing its brothers with psychic powers, but it kept tiring out at two. Thankfully, Barrage was too weak to be a threat.

Blue must have known that too. "Here guys, have a Potion," he said as he sprayed the medicine on his psychic eggs. I was surprised, Blue rarely helped his team out.

"That health boost won't save you!" I shouted.

"Oh, it doesn't need to," he bragged. "Your Pokemon getting zzz's is all I need! Barrage!" This time Exeggcute fired off three eggs; it was getting warmed up now. As much as I tried to wake Raticate up, Barrage whittled down her HP.

And then it got worse. Exeggcute found a weak point, and tossed two more eggs at Raticate critically! Thankfully, the jolt of pain woke Raticate, so I cried out, "Hyper Fang!" Exeggcute wasn't ready for the giant rat, and went down with ease.

Blue was annoyed, but still confident. But at the same time, I saw a crazy look on his face. "Hehehe, you're dead. I'm so sick of you, Red." I didn't know what to say, so he ended with, "I choose you, Kadabra."

"Kadabra?" I said in confusion. "Wait, if you've got him, and you probably kept Wartortle, then-"

"Yes, Raticate's gone," he said with such plainness. "Now, let's do this."

I didn't understand, it was so different from his typical attitude, so mysterious. But it didn't matter right now. I knew I wanted to take this fight in a different direction. "Return, Raticate!" With her back in my ball, I sent out Daydreamer to make this a Psychic duel.

"Confusion!" he commanded. After my Drowzee was pushed back by Confusion, I ordered Disable in response, but Kadabra managed to evade the attack with surprising swiftness. I decided to go with Hypnosis instead, and although Kadabra attempted to Teleport away, the attack finally landed.

"Sleep well," I said zestfully. Blue was not amused. "Fine, fine," I said with disappointment. Instead, I motioned for a barrage of Confusions, and Daydreamer complied, flinging Kadabra all over the room. Daydreamer made sure to avoid hitting any gravestones.

As each turn passed, Blue's anger rose. His Psychic type had been bested, all because of Hypnosis. I almost felt bad at how easy this was. But the moment Kadabra came out of sleep, Blue said, "Disable!" Before I could blink, a blast of energy enveloped Daydreamer. His best offense had just been blocked. "Shoot?" Blue jeered at me.

"Grr, that's it!" I yelled. I moved my head, and Daydreamer got the signal. Daydreamer made the same motion and suddenly shot out bright light! I covered my eyes in time, but Blue and Kadabra didn't. "Disable will run out eventually, so good luck hitting me until then!"

Blue started laughing. "Hello, psychic Pokémon? It's gonna be a lot easier than you think!" Daydreamer attempted to dodge Kadabra's Confusion, but failed, and flew into the roof!

"Keep doing Flash," I said, forgetting my new oath on attacks. "The bright lights will distract it!" Daydreamer followed orders, but Kadabra did too. Not every Confusion hit anymore, but they still had some power behind them.

"Fine, here, have a Potion!" Blue yelled. Kadabra Teleported over and received the spray, but it was a case of too little, too late. Daydreamer was Disabled no more!

With one signal, Daydreamer grabbed Kadabra and started throwing him around. But as he fell to the ground, he stood up, confused! Blue was dripping anger, and he had no words left for me. The Potion's purpose ran dry as Kadabra was back down to the red, and was finished as Confusion ended the battle!

"Oh, this battle is far from over, Red," Blue blurted like a mind reader. "Remember, I have a trump card. "Are you ready?"

Bringing back his humanoid fox creature, he threw down his final Poké Ball. "I choose you! Wartortle!" Wartortle blasted on the scene, roaring fiercely.

"Go! Kara-Tee!" Blue wasn't expecting her, but I needed to give her some experience, after all. I motioned for a Karate Chop, but she barely even noticed my order in time! Wartortle's Bubble came first, and Kara-Tee felt it for sure.

"Stop lazing about and fight!" She was acting far too confident, but as Wartortle slid in for a Tail Whip, Kara-Tee used Low Kick, dealing a good chunk of damage. However, no matter how many Low Kicks I ordered, the barrage of Bubbles and Tail Whips was too much for Kara-Tee.

I saved Kara-Tee in time from fainting, but I had to be careful with my next choice. Gloom could win with ease; it should have been a no-brainer. But I had to prove I was more than just a type-opportunist. I wanted to prove I had strong Pokemon too. "Go! Charmeleon!"

I expected laughter. Or anger at how stupid a move it was. But instead, Blue took the site of my Fire type seriously. "Come here, Wartortle. Use my last Potion." The turtle walked over, getting some much-needed health.

"Are you ready, Blue? No holding back." He nodded, and with that, we gave our commands!

I signaled a Scratch, and he charged in, claw stretched. The Scratch was a critical success, but not enough to stop a Bubble to the face! "Scratch again!" I ordered aloud, not caring about the final blow enough to hide it.

Wartortle formed a Bubble in its mouth, but the claw was too fast, and sliced through Wartortle's scales, inflicting just enough pain to win me the match!

Blue's defeat was calm, somber, and peaceful even. Then he said, "What? You stinker! I took it easy on you too!" The mood died in both the most appropriate and inappropriate place.

"Yeah, whatever Blue," I said. "I still don't get why you got rid of Raticate, you would have had a better chance."

He looked at me for a moment, the strange look in his eyes again, before asking, "How's your Pokédex coming, pal?" Pal? "I just caught a Cubone!"

"Um…then why didn't you use it?" I asked.

"Heh, well…it fainted." I gave him a stare to convey my guess at his intelligence, but he rambled on. "Doesn't matter! The point is, if I stick to using the same Pokémon for so long, I'll never catch them all!" I didn't like it, but he did have a point…

"Anyway. I can't find the grown-up Marowak yet! I doubt there are any left!" That's right, I remember hearing that in town; a Marowak died at the hands of Team Rocket. I had been trying to ignore the despicable thought as a rumor.

I guess he was getting weirded out at how quiet I was, so he said, "Well, I better get going! I've got a lot to accomplish, pal! Smell ya later!" Typical Blue…

After watching Blue walk away, an eerie feeling crept over me. It wasn't another invisible ghost, at least not that I could tell, but it was giving me second thoughts about climbing to the next level. Surrounded by gravestones, dim lighting, and an absolute lack of people around made the area more terrifying by the second.

But in my haste to battle Blue (plus thanks to his distracting challenge), I failed to notice one person standing by the stairs leading up. Thankfully she didn't seem to mean me any harm, but talking to her did not alleviate my fears.

"An impressive battle, dear boy, but your feud does nothing to settle the spirits' discontent." Why do I run into all the weird people? Dressed in ceremonial robes, she was actually quite young, but her tone and body language spoke of levels of experience that would make Mom look casual.

"Well um, that's, uh," I tried to say. I felt it necessary to talk to the Channeler about my experience outside with the ghost, but I couldn't find the right words. "How smart are these ghosts?"

She gave me a quick look-over before answering. "Yes, a good question, but odd for someone so young to ask." I couldn't help but blush. "The ghosts are as smart as you and I, and any other we meet. Their origins are surrounded in legend and myth, but like all Pokémon, they are varying in intelligence and personality."

This was exactly what I needed to hear. "So, they can be as good, or have good intentions?" She nodded, so I continued. "If ghosts want to do the right thing, like anyone else should, then if a ghost came to me outside, does that mean I need to continue on?"

"Hmm." She looked me over again, but now with a much more detailed view. It made me blush more. "You may pass if you wish, but be warned, the Pokémon Tower has changed since the death of Marowak. The ghost Pokémon are restless." Suddenly, I saw anger in her eyes, erasing the stoic image she had to this point. "Even we could not identify the wayward Ghosts!"

I wasn't sure what this all meant, but there was a serious tone about her, moreso than the conversation had started with. "I think I understand," I said, but let out a small laugh, "and yet, I don't think I possibly can."

And then the weirdest emotion came: happiness. "Perhaps, when you're older, you will," her smile said. "But be careful, wherever your journey will lead you." I could tell she had no more to say, and I knew what my next task was. Whether I could help out with, whatever the problem was, I had to keep going. If I was to be a Pokémon Master, I can't be afraid of the very creatures I'm after.

And so I went up. The steps didn't creak like a typical scary movie. There weren't cobwebs in the corners. Things were gray, but not dark and spooky. It wasn't scary by the standard conventions society throws around.

But I was still terrified. As I reached the top of the stairs, I looked through the dank room. As if channeling scary movie clichés, I called out, "Hello?!" No one answered of course, but part of me hoped someone would.

It took a few seconds, but through the tombstones, I saw a Channeler standing alone. Maybe she could help, I thought to myself. I checked to be sure my six teammates, none of which were healed from Blue's battle (a dumb mistake), were still there, and then marched for the Channeler. I didn't get far.

Within steps a vague shadowy form ambushed me, leaving me stunned beyond words! A ghost had appeared! I could already tell it wasn't a Pokémon I knew of, but I immediately remembered I had something that could help. "My Pokédex!"

I pulled it out of my pocket. Normally, the Pokédex could identify a Pokémon in an instant, but it took several moments before finally displaying a message: "Cannot be ID'd." Darn!

In desperation, I sent Calcite, arguably one of the bravest Pokémon I had to protect me. I knew nothing of this Pokémon's weaknesses, but I wasn't going to worry about them for now. "Calcite! Rock Throw!" I said, forgetting to use commands.

Nevertheless, it didn't matter. As Calcite reared his arm back, the ghost whispered, "Get out…" At first, I thought I was hearing things, a whoosh of a breeze, but the ghost reiterated the statement. "Get out…"

Calcite immediately dropped his summoned rock and look absolutely terrified. The fact that he's such a hardy guy only made me more terrified. He was too scared to move, and if he couldn't do anything, how could any of my Pokémon fight back? I decided the only option was to run, and amazingly, it worked. The ghost immediately gave up and let us go.

I went back to the second floor where I met the Channeler and fought Blue, carrying with me disappointment and even anger that I could do nothing, and neither could my Pokémon. "So now you see our plight?" She asked me, but it was a rhetorical question.

"If I'm supposed to go up there," I said slowly, "or, if anyone does, how can they get past those ghosts? If they're Pokémon, why can't they be fought?"

She closed her eyes, deep in thought. Although with the length of time they were closed, I was beginning to wonder if it was sleep instead of thought. "They say this tower bears more power than it lets on. It's not just the burial ground of Pokémon, or even the home of Ghost-type Pokémon, but a den of supernatural power we cannot comprehend."

"Um, well, that may be, but honestly that really just flies over my head," I admitted. Pokémon were so powerful already; what could possibly make them stronger than now?

However, she seemed to ignore my comment and continued. "The power here gives ghosts an ability to become invisible, and even more, mutate themselves into apparitions neither human nor Pokémon. A Silph Scope might be able to unmask them." A Silph Scope?

I hit up the Pokémon Center, still lost for words. Science was already amazing, but now they had technology to see ghosts? What a world.

But the world could be so predictable. Just as I left the town, I felt that familiar presence on my right shoulder again. "Look, I can't do anything, okay? Leave me alone."

It didn't. I felt a hand land on my left shoulder, but this time it held me in place. Angry, I turned and yelled, "I CAN'T HELP! I'm just a kid! There's nothing I can do!" At first, nothing happened. But then I felt something: guilt. The ghost apparently gave up trying to convince me, and for whatever reason I felt bad for lashing out at the Pokémon in peril.

I guess that sentence alone explains why I felt guilt; nonetheless, my words were true, there was nothing I could do but continue on my journey. Perhaps if I did find the Silph Scope, I could do more, but I had to keep marching on. That's what a trainer does.

Route 8 was west of town, and was filled with many trainers, and each one served the purpose of driving the guilt out of my mind. In fact, the farther I left Lavender Town, the more the depressive aura that was being saturated seemed to leave me.

As for the trainers themselves, they all seemed in a relatively good mood too. Although, as I soon learned from a Lass named Megan that the guard for Saffron was even less friendly than the first I've met. After defeating the trainers on the route, I had to see this for myself.

I entered the guard station, and at first the guard seemed quite normal. "Excuse me? Can I pass into Saffron?"

He gave me a strange look, and then said, "I'm on guard duty."

"I don't mean any offense," I hastily replied. "I just really want to visit the gym here. Can you please let me in?"

The man gave me a look that bordered between bland and irritated. "Gee, I'm thirsty, though!" Did he…want me to bribe him? With drinks?

"I'm sorry sir, I don't have anything to give away to you. Maybe I can-"

"Oh wait there, the road's closed." He turned and stared back at the door I came through. Clearly, he was sending me a message to get out, and I crossly took it. It was understandable if Saffron was still under quarantine, but rudeness was never the right thing to do.

I stepped outside, pulling out my map to think of a new route, when I noticed the sound of motors. Somehow being inside the guard station must have muted their approach, but just to my left were four bike riders sitting by a little house. Despite the motors' rumbling, I could clearly hear them.

"Man, boss, I'm not too sure about this. It's crazy enough to take on the police, but Team Rocket?!" He had a worried look in his eyes, and the other Mohawk bearers seemed to have similar expressions.

"He does have a point," another said. "After all, we're going UNDER one city they conquered and then driving THROUGH Celadon. That's like their capital, right?"

The leader stroked his chin as he commented. "Maybe so, but we're a part of the Kanto Riders Federation! We're not going to wimp out just because a few Rocket Grunts are prancing around in Celadon City!" Of course, it's always where I'm going next.

"True enough, sir," the third Biker replied, "but there are a lot of them." The leader slapped him upside the head.

"Idiot! Numbers mean nothing! It's quality versus quantity, and you know WE have the quality!" They all nodded without doubt, so he continued. "Besides, once we get to Cycling Road, we'll be speaking with the Westside Bikers, and you know they'll join up, whether we make them or not. THAT, will be our quantity.

The three goons seemed satisfied with this answer, and the first replied, "I'm sorry I ever doubted you, Paxton."

"Yeah, you better be," he growled. He got on his bike and looked around, thankfully unaware of me eavesdropping. "Alright you clowns, in we go! To Celadon!" With that, the riders drove into the little house, and the question to where I had to go next was answered.

I couldn't deny I was nervous as I stepped into the little house and began descending the stairs. There was a girl in there, who rationalized the gangsters as shopaholics by saying "The department store in Celadon has a great selection!"

After I rolled my eyes, I walked down the steps and saw that, indeed, the bikers had already made a great distance, which kept me out of their line of sight. Soon I saw their headlights head into the roof, meaning they were now outside the Underground Path. And after a few minutes, so was I."Why do I have a feeling you're not with the Bikers?" a man on top of the stairs said.

"Yeah," I replied. I looked around the area, seeing that it was quite clean despite four creeps barging their way through. "Any idea where they went?"

"Nope," he answered, "but I would have guessed Cycling Road." Great, that just makes things a lot harder for me, I bet. "And yet…" He gave me a curious look I didn't understand, so I asked him what he meant.

"Well, it's just they probably can't get there. I heard a sleepy Pokémon appeared near Celadon City." I was about to ask "So what?", but he caught me before I can say the words. "Clearly, you should know what the Pokémon is, judging by all the fancy clothes and Poké Balls."

The comment confused me, but I knew exactly what Pokémon he meant. If there was a Snorlax preventing travel yet again, it would keep the Bikers from their plans. Maybe.

Nevertheless, they weren't my problem. My mission is still the same: collect, battle, win badges. And as I stepped outside the small house, I could see Celadon City on the horizon. At last, my goal was within my sight.

I evaluated my situation, knowing what was to come. I knew from the Bikers that Team Rocket had their "capital" here. I also knew that Celadon City was where Jim Gai told me to visit next. While I'm not going to doubt him or his advice, I had to admit I was afraid.

Two gangs were there; one of which may even have heard of my exploits in Mt. Moon. Not likely, but there wasn't a lot to look forward to other than that precious gym badge.

Oh, and shopping; Celadon City is where all the bike-riding shopaholics go, right? I did a quick catch of Growlie the Growlithe before heading onward.

With one last breath, I stepped forward, ignoring the guard station behind me that would surely contain another dead-end, and moved forward, straight toward the future. My uncertain future.


	7. Chapter Seven: Celadon City

_**Chapter Seven: Celadon City**_

Celadon City was known far and wide as the shopping capital of Kanto, and it certainly shows. Building and homes populate the area more than most towns, but standing on the west edge of town is a monolith: the Celadon City Department Store. Just from my eyes, I could see it must have been at least five stories tall.

As tempting as it was to check out the massive construct, the sun setting behind the building told me that the day was beginning to fade. Therefore, I made my first mission to enter the Pokémon Center and heal up my team.

The healing was uneventful, but I got a big shock as I stepped outside. There, just a few meters away, was a Rocket Grunt. The timing was good since I healed, but to see a grunt in public was unbelievable! I walked up to challenge him, but he refused and said, "Keep out of Team Rocket's way!"

I was sure I didn't know him, and his attitude suggested the same, so I was unsure of how to take him on. All I knew was that I should look to see if the town had a police force or at least a place to stay. I didn't feel like sleeping outside tonight.

I did my best to avoid the store for now, and I also shied away from the Rocket Game Corner. Bad enough it shared the name with Team Rocket, and, as one lady put it, "is bad for our city's image!" but I needed sleep.

At last, I did find the inn, but the joy ended there. "Hello Miss, I'd like a room for me and my team."

"Pokémon?" she asked. "No, this is a hotel for people." Her eyes became cross and condescending, but I wouldn't give in easily.

"Please, I'll keep them inside their balls, just please let me stay."

"We're full up." My efforts were in vain, all because I was a trainer. As I stomped back down the street, I decided to hit up the restaurant I passed.

"Hi!" The chef was so happy, a bright smile on his face. "We're taking a break now." My face fault nearly cracked the tiles, I swear. I just left the place, pulling out a snack bar and trudged back to the Pokémon Center.

Despite the two Rockets in town, Celadon City was in relative peace. I couldn't understand why the impossible-to-find police force wouldn't take action, but I'm sure the city had one. I decided to call Mom and verify, and she did her best to interpret the situation. She believed that the town was being bought off by the gang, and that all the money would be coming from the Rocket Game Corner. As I hung up, I promised her I would leave Celadon soon before trouble started brewing, but I couldn't resist at least checking her theory for myself.

The next morning, after waking up and leaving the Pokémon Center, I traveled to the Rocket Game Corner, not only to do some snooping, but also with genuine interest in playing what Mom called "adult games." The people inside were all adults, but they had no problem with a kid playing alongside them, it seems. But before I could play, I needed coins. I went to the clerks in the back for some playing coins.

"Welcome to Rocket Game Corner!" said the man at the back counter. True, it was a suspicious name, but I'm sure I'm just being paranoid. "Do you need some game coins? It's $1,000 for 50 coins. Would you like some?"

"Yes please, sir." I hope they don't care that I'm a kid. And at first, I thought he was going to when he gave me an expectant look.

"Wait, let me guess," he said. "You don't have a Coin Case!" I questioned him about it, but he did not answer as fondly as I hoped. "A Coin Case is practically the license to gamble here! Kids may be allowed to play here on the upper level, but that's only if they're carrying a Coin Case. And since you're not, no coins for you!"

He was rude, but he was actually intimidating too, almost like a Rocket Grunt. But it didn't matter, I felt a bit of determination, like when I fight the Rockets, and decided to go hunt around town for one.

But I had an interruption to deal with. "Hey!" I looked around for the caller. "You have better things to do, champ in making!" There, at the slots, sat Jim Gai!

"What are you doing here, Jim?" I asked with shock.

"Uh, well, Celadon doesn't normally let guys in the gym unless they're Trainers, so uh…" I wasn't sure what to say; he was a Gym Caretaker, shouldn't he be allowed in too? "Anyway, listen up! Celadon Gym's leader is Erika! She uses Grass type Pokémon! She might appear docile, but don't be fooled!"

I thanked him for the advice, but I still gave him a curious why he was here. I began searching town for a Coin Case, which apparently no one had to sell. It took awhile, but by chance, my solution was hiding in the restaurant.

As I walked over to get some food, a large man next to me began making conversation. "Munch…" …Your name is Munch? "The man at that table lost it all at the slots." The man behind me is named Munch?!

But the man sitting back in the farthest corner overheard us. "Go ahead! Laugh! I'm flat out busted!"

I looked sympathetically at the man and walked over. "I'm not going to laugh, sir. I'm sorry to hear what happened.

"Yeah, well," he said, "No more slots for me! I'm going straight!" I nodded with understanding, but he reached into his pocket and pulled out some metal box. "Here! I won't be needing this anymore!" And thus, I finally received a Coin Case!

"Thank sir! I'll put it to good use!"

He nodded and finished with, "I always thought I was going win it back…" I think I was bumming him out, so I turned and left as quickly as I could.

And thus, my gambling career began. I bought some coins, but it seems like I didn't need to, as people were happy to share theirs, and there were lots of coins on the floor. After getting 325 coins, I went to the back counter to see what I could do with them.

"Welcome!" said the lady at the back counter. "You can exchange your coins for fabulous prizes next door."

"Um…then what's your job?"

She gave me the sharpest look in town, and this is a town full of Rocket Grunts. I decided to stop waiting for an answer and headed next door. But then I saw something I never expected: a Rocket Grunt, staring at a wall. It was time to investigate.

I tapped him on the shoulder and he turned around. "I'm guarding this poster!" You're what? Is this what they do with the crummier grunts? "Go away, or else!"

He certainly had the same anger as any other grunt though, and a Raticate to boot. But I wasn't going to have a problem. "Go! Calcite!"

The grunt managed to throw several Hyper Fangs at my Geodude, but Rock Throw and Tackle took out his Raticate and Zubat with ease. "Dang! Our hideout might be discovered!" he shouted after returning his fainted Pokémon. "I better tell Boss!"

He pressed his hand against the poster, triggering a strange noise. Before I knew it, he walked behind a wall into a shadowy hall. He seemed to shrink away as he left, and the noise repeated.

Oh well, I wanted to investigate that poster, not follow the Rocket. It looked like a simple picture with an R logo, but under it, there was something special. "Hey! A switch behind the poster?! Let's push it!" As soon as I did, the familiar noise occurred, and looking down the hallway, I saw a smidge of light. It didn't take long to figure out the mystery: a staircase into the basement of the Rocket Game Corner!

I had heard rumors of a basement, but I never expected this. Although the compact hallways didn't have a lot to show off, it left plenty of mystery and speculation to how big this underground stronghold really was. And also lots of plants strangely.

It didn't take long to find the people living inside, either. And of course, they weren't gamblers either. "You broke into our operation?"

"Yup," I answered. "Are we going to have to fight?" As soon as he nodded, I reached for my Poké Ball. "Go! Calcite!" The grunt used two Raticates on me, but Calcite took them both down, even if it meant using Self Destruct.

"Burnt!" he yelled…for some reason. "You're not going to get away with this, brat!" Watch me.

From that point, I explored the basement's first floor, taking down every Rocket I could find. They were hardly a threat with my fierce team, but it looked like the only path open was farther down. Normally calling the cops would be the right choice, but Celadon was Rocket territory. Therefore, I was on my own.

The second level was very similar to the first, filled with plants and checkerboard floors and hallways. But meeting the Rocket on this level proved to answer the question that had been haunting me for an answer.

"Boss said you can see ghosts with the Silph Scope!" Bingo. The Rocket was well equipped for a Rocket. His Zubat took advantage of my sleeping Kara-Tee, but Kara stood out until she woke up, and that's when Charmeleon took charge. Zubat went down quick, but his defeat only led to a Koffing attack!

"Whatsamatter kid, too nervous to talk?!" Despite his bravado, I could tell he was worried. Even without Charmeleon's intimidating stature, a kid managing to command his Pokémon with just his hands mystified him. "Fine, don't talk! I'll beat you with my stellar team! I'll use…Grimer!"

With Charmeleon's new move, Rage, I figured victory was confirmed, but this Rocket was smarter than he sounded. "Disable!" With Rage out, Charmeleon was taken aback and the Rocket took advantage of the situation to weaken my fiery friend. But I still had Scratch, and that was enough to keep back Grimer; at least, until…

"Charmeleon's disabled no more! And you know that means?" The Rocket had fear in his eyes as Charmeleon's tail exploded into an impressive flame!

After that, nothing mattered; his Grimer, Zubat, and Raticate were beaten with amazing ease, whereas my buddy was barely in the yellow zone. "I surrender!"

My fear was gone, and within a few seconds, Charmeleon's Rage subsided. "You better tell us whatever you know about this base. And the Silph Scope."

"Okay, okay, just put him away!" I chuckled as Charmeleon returned. He breathed a sigh of relief and talked. "The Team Rocket HQ has 4 basement floors." What?! Four floors of Rocket Grunts? This was going to be a long day. He smirked at my expression. "But if you want to know all about that Silph Scope, you'll have to speak with my supervisor. Can you reach the Boss?" he said with an oily attitude.

I wasn't going to let him off easy, though. "You're done; I suggest you send yourself to jail, lest we meet again." That was enough to keep him quiet at least, and so headed forward. Well, sort of.

I stepped on a strange tile on the floor, it had arrow symbols on it, but that wasn't what made it strange. No, the strange part was, as I stepped on the tile, I spun around in circles! I was being propelled forward by a force I couldn't understand across the floor at a high speed. Needless to say, when I stopped, I was dizzier than I had ever been in my life.

As soon as my head settled, I looked around and noticed I moved pretty far from where I started. At this moment, I decided two things. I never wanted to touch these tiles again, and I definitely had to plan my path around the base now if I never wanted to touch these tiles again.

But as it turned out, the tiles were everywhere, and I was going to have to keep touching them to progress. "Fine!" I shouted. So after about a half-hour of spinning and a half-hour of trying to rest my broken brain, I arrived far, far away from the spinning titles. "It's about time," I said with frustration, praying there were no more tiles like those back there.

I found this next room gave me two paths to follow, going upstairs or into a new room. I decided to try out the room, as I was tired, but it actually was an elevator. "It appears to need a key." Well, at least stairs are healthier…

Unfortunately, the two grunts occupying the room are not healthy. They both carried more Pokémon than usual, which I know must mean something, but I can't imagine what.

I let Kara-Tee take on the grunts, and she did well, but was beaten down by the second grunt. "Fine, then I'll use Daydreamer!" Sure enough, my Psychic type just barely pulled off the finishing blow with Confusion!

"This won't do!" I returned my Drowzee and planned to walk away, but for some reason the grunt was terrified. "Okay, I'll talk! Take the elevator to see my Boss!"

Now I knew what I had to do: find the key, and I may just stop Team Rocket once and for all. But first…I had to cross more arrow tiles…

Descending deeper into the Rocket Hideout brought me more challenges, and apparently I was getting popular in here. "We got word from upstairs that you were coming!" said one grunt.

He and his twin Machops didn't last long. "What? I lost? No!" The Rockets were getting anxious and giving up more information than they should, too. "Go ahead and go! But, you need the Lift Key to run the elevator!" I already knew I needed a key, but this confirmed the elevator was something I'd want to use.

But what I didn't want to use were more arrow tiles. I had no choice sadly, and began another dizzy journey across the room. The puzzle didn't give as much reward as the former tile issue, but it lead me to not only another Rocket, but a staircase leading further down.

On level 3, I equipped Charmeleon to lead, as my team was getting weak. I had a feeling I'd need him for the next Rocket Grunt. "Hey, you, the elevator doesn't work. Who has the Lift Key?"

"The elevator doesn't work? Who has the Lift Key?" he repeated. He was like any other Rocket before, but the density of this one astounded me.

"Um, yes, that's what I just asked." Instead of answering, however, he threw out a Pokémon. I could understand that at least. And with Charmeleon on the scene, a fight could finally ensue! I commanded an Ember to get an idea of what kind of trainer he was, and his Koffing could hardly handle it! Even his Tackle barely hurt my buddy! And with one more Scratch, the Koffing was down! "You do plan to fight harder, right?"

"Fight harder?" Um…okay, I'm getting weirded out now. But considering how unimpressive his second, Zubat looked, I figured he'd be done. But he took was I said to heart, apparently, as even though I got Zubat burned with Ember, he used Supersonic to confuse Charmeleon! And with that confusion, my buddy couldn't think straight!

The grunt smirked in glory, but it only took another Metal Claw to finish it off almost immediately. "No!" he screamed as he Zubat flew back and crashed into him. Charmeleon hit harder than he should of, until I saw a tiny glint of light, and the grunt couldn't help but speak up.

"Oh no! I dropped the Lift Key!" Realizing the way down was right in front of me, I charged for the key, but the man grabbed me and pushed me back. This did not make Charmeleon happy. I barely reacted in time to call back Charmeleon as his tail flared with Rage.

The guard fainted right beside Zubat, scared of what my Pokémon was capable of. I actually felt guilty leaving him there, but I needed the key if I was to stop Team Rocket here and now. As soon as I found the key, I made my way back. As soon as I heal, I'd finish the Rocket Hideout once and for all.

I got out pretty easy, and thought about staying out. I am a kid, after all, this isn't my business. On the other hand, if I do become Champion, it will be my business. The Champion will have the strongest Pokémon in the land, so if someone this dangerous spouts up, I should be there to stop them. And after all, it was just the right thing to do.

Once back inside, I quickly found the elevator (after more spinning), and I got in and used the key. The panel indicating which levels were available lit up instantly, and I had three floors to choose from: the first, second, and fourth basement floors.

Truthfully, I could have just charged for the boss, but that still made me nervous, and it would be dangerous if any grunts came at me while fighting the boss, so I decided to clear them out first and gain experience.

The first floor only had one Rocket left, and he wasn't happy to see me. "Are you lost, you little rat?" I'm not a rat! But since he wanted to see one so bad, I made sure to give Raticate a shot after Charmeleon used his Metal Claws on Grimer.

Grimer didn't stand much of a chance even with a critical hit, and Koffing went down to one critical Quick Attack, pounding Koffing into the door in front of the elevator. The Rocket, dumbfounded, fell to his knees. "Why…?" I wasn't sure what he meant, but then the door whirred open, as if the physical shock activated the interior gears!

"Uh-oh, that fight opened the door!" Considering it didn't take much to tear through the door, I was worried at how structurally sound this basement really was. Not wanting to waste anymore time, I hurried to the fourth floor.

Two Rocket Grunts were guarding the door, and they looked tougher than the average grunt, but with my team, I knew I could take them on. I talked to the first grunt, and he had something unexpected to say.

"I know you! You ruined our plans at Mt. Moon!" I certainly didn't recognize him, but it didn't matter, as I would take him down just like all the others! Calcite the Geodude went up against his Sandshrew, but his Sand Attack made me worry at how well the fight would go. Still, he could barely hurt me, while my Tackle and Rock Throw took him down slowly but surely!

He was certainly different than other grunts, and not just because he knew who I was. Not many used Ground types, especially something like a Sandslash. He had an Ekans too, but I'm led to believe this may be a sign of things to come. "Burned again! Do you have something against Team Rocket?"

The other grunt who watched concurred with his associate. "How can you not see the beauty of our evil?" His Ekans, Sandshrew, and Arbok gave us trouble, but Calcite, Gloom, and Kara-Tee were enough to finish them off, if just barely. It really looked like things would go our way as the grunt shouted, "Ayaya!"

The door opened, and I knew, just down that hallway, the boss would be before me. "Boss! I'm sorry I failed you!" the grunt fearfully cried. The three of us looked through the doorway, expecting the mysterious master of them all.

I walked down the hallway, but before I could reach the end, I heard "Not another step, brat!" It was them.

"How dare you humiliate us at Mt. Moon." The painfully strange members of Team Rocket.

"It's payback time, you brat!" And, again, the Meowth…talked.

"Um, look, you guys, I'm impressed that you did the impossible and got a Pokémon to talk, but I'm really not interested in another battle." The three were however, and they surrounded me to prevent any escape.

"You kidding? Jessie and James, teach me? Ha! I taught myself!" the Meowth said aloud. I really don't think I can handle more of this mind-blowing activity.

"Fine, fine, let's just fight and be over with it all." I said, and immediately reached for a weak but still able Calcite.

"Ladies first!" Jessie demanded, tossing out her Ekans. "Glare at his rock!" She managed to paralyze Calcite, but it didn't matter; Rock Throw started to tear Ekans apart early on, and try as she might, Leer meant nothing to Calcite's high defense. "This isn't fair! He's not even saying his stupid commands!"

Ekans fell, and James stepped up. "Don't worry, Koffing and I will teach this 'chatterbox' what's what!" And he did send out a Koffing, but I had already withdrawn Calcite for Gloom, making all of Jessie's efforts pointless. She was not happy about that.

James led off with a cloud of Smog. I managed to cover my mouth, as the Smog cloud was enveloping me too! But Gloom was hardly hurt by Smog, and couldn't be poisoned either. The coverage of gases did make the fight tougher, and meant I had to call my attacks out to Gloom. "Gloom, Absorb!" Gloom easily found Koffing and gained back her health, and thensome!

James didn't last much longer, as he frequently called Tackle, and even missed due to his Smog! With one last Cut, Koffing bounced on the floor in defeat, just in time for the Smog to clear.

"That's it! You're dead!" Meowth jumped forward, ready to finish me off, but I let Kara-Tee, with just enough health to keep standing, do a Low Kick and defeat him before he could finish using Growl!

"Such a dreadful twerp!" Jessie cried in anger. James picked Meowth up by his tail and Jessie chastised him for losing so promptly.

"This isn't over, twerpy one, we'll be back! Team Rocket still has impressive plans!" James pulled out a Smoke Ball and sent it crashing into the ground. As smoke filled the room and blinded me, I heard the trio shout, "Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!" Good riddance.

After all I had gone through, after every fight, I finally came face to face with the true leader of Team Rocket. His menacing figure held strong even as he lounged on a couch. He looked to me, not with a mean look, but intrigue. "So! I must say, I am impressed you got here."

"Of course! You and your gang have taken enough Pokémon from everyone here in Kanto! You're gonna pay!"

He laughed, and gave me a smile, like a parent would to correct a simple mistake. "Team Rocket captures Pokémon from around the world. They're important tools for keeping our criminal enterprise going. I am the leader, Giovanni! For your insolence, you will feel a world of pain!"

And with that, he stood, a looming form I would never forget. "Go, Onix." An incredibly large Onix burst out, his height too grand for the room itself to handle. "Hurry up, boy."

I shook my head to get back to action, and threw out Calcite. Onix immediately threw rocks, and even though they missed, I was nearly hit in the process! "Watch it!" He just laughed and watched as my Geodude threw his own rocks.

However, Calcite's Rock Throw was hardly hurting Onix, and it only got worse as Onix did Bind on my Pokémon! Calcite could hardly hurt Onix, and yet Onix could tear Calcite apart! I decided that, with so little damage being dealt, I needed to be smarter.

As soon as Calcite got free, I shouted, "Calcite come back! Go, Gloom!" It was a lucky move, as my Pokémon dodged a flurry of boulders! I commanded Absorb, but Onix flared red and began to slam itself into Gloom. Not only was it using Rage, but Giovanni never told him too! "You can command without words?!" I said with alarm.

"Of course," he responded. "That is an easy task for someone like me." Even with Rage harming Gloom, Onix fell very quickly to Absorb. It fell across the room, crushing plants and machines around us, but fortunately avoiding me and Gloom!

"One down, and one to go!" I said with pride. Giovanni didn't seem to care as he called upon a Rhyhorn. I switched out Gloom for Kara-Tee, knowing she'd need the experience and that Gloom was far too injured to fight. I motioned for a Low Kick, and for once my Machop put aside her careless attitude to pay attention; even she knew this was an important fight! She even got it to flinch!

Kara-Tee did another Low Kick, and Rhyhorn flinched again! This fight was mine and now Giovanni began to show signs of anger; he knew it too. He attempted to use Guard Spec. on Rhyhorn, but all it did was give a swift dodge for Rhyhorn as I sent my Pokémon to Karate Chop it. A follow up Karate Chop did the trick though, leaving only one Pokémon left for the mob boss!

My arrogance began to show. "Daydreamer! Let's finish him off!" As Drowzee came on to the scene, I wasn't sure what I expected the boss of Team Rocket to say or do.

Giovanni just laughed. "Go. Kangaskhan." The large bodied parent Pokémon came before my eyes. It was a bit daunting, admittedly.

"First, a bit of Guard Spec. should do you well." He wasn't taking any chances this time. But how could I lose now? I commanded a Confusion, hoping to confuse both villain and Pokémon, but he seemed to be fast enough that it didn't matter. Kangaskhan used Bite!

Bite is a Dark-Type move, which means that if a Psychic-Type is bit, it's super effective. And worse, it can make a Pokémon flinch. Daydreamer was having very bad luck all of a sudden. The Bites weren't too tough, but with no escape from flinching, Daydreamer fell immediately.

Aggravated by the painful defeat, I brought Kara-Tee back out. With a Fighting-Type, I had an edge! Kara ran in with a Low Kick, but as she charged in, Kangaskhan used Rage!

Kara-Tee was flung far back as Kangaskhan punched her across the room! Kara crashed and left an imprint in the wall. The hit was critical, but it wasn't the end. Kangaskhan's biggest strength was its weight, but also its weakness, at least with Low Kick. If Kara-Tee could land a Low Kick, it would hurt for sure!

But the match wouldn't go my way at all. And the more Kara-Tee fought, the angrier Kangaskhan became. The match became far too brutal for description, and if Kara-Tee didn't have as much defense as it did, I'm not sure how well it would fair after this fight.

Kara fainted, and the match came to Kangaskhan. But I was prepared for that. "You want Rage? I'll show you what real rage is! Go! Charmeleon!"

I immediately used Rage, but Kangaskhan was a lot faster than I expected, outrunning my smaller and more agile lizard to smack it first. But Charmeleon paid back harder with a critical hit! "You're in the yellow, Giovanni!"

"And your point is?" Still not worried? But why? I soon saw, as Kangaskhan out-powered my already injured Charmeleon, throwing it against the wall in an unbearable rage! "Do you see? I have no reason to worry, or fear, anything you can do. I have already won."

Charmeleon was trying to build up rage to power the attack, but Kangaskhan had much more already. Pounding Charmeleon senseless was now like instinct for Kangaskhan. It disturbed more to see a Pokémon become so vicious. Not even Charmeleon had been this bad while enraged. Charmeleon fainted, but even as it fell to its knees, it looked up at Kangaskhan, angry at the loss. Giovanni just smiled and watched.

His confident smirk angered me, more anger than Charmeleon had. "You're going to pay for your crimes! Today!" Raticate came on the scene next; no matter how good she is, my hopes dwindled, knowing how strong that irate kangaroo must be.

I sent Raticate in with a Hyper Fang, and she was fast enough to hit first! But not strong enough to finish the job. The enraged Pokémon grabbed Raticate and smashed her into a wall, cracking it into shards of dry wall!

All it would take is one more Hyper Fang, but if Giovanni had any tricks left, I'd be doomed. "Finish it, Raticate!" She knew what I wanted, and dashed in for a Hyper Fang. Within feet, the rat bared her fangs, and…missed! Kangaskhan jumped higher than I thought was possible and crashed on top of Raticate! "She…she fainted…"

"You have two Pokémon left. Please make them count; I'm bored of you now." I couldn't believe it. I mean, yeah, it's a kangaroo, but still. Nevertheless, I reached for my teammate, Gloom. Unlike Blue, Giovanni wasn't the kind of person to mock me for such a huge turnaround, or for a Pokémon like Gloom who wasn't the definition of cool.

He knew better than to lose his cool against an opponent in battle. I took a deep breath, regained my composure, and ordered an Absorb. "Please, do it, Gloom." She looked at me with sympathetic eyes, but as she turned around, Kangaskhan only looked at her with livid eyes.

Aside from being scarier than Scary Face, it gave Kangaskhan the opening she needed to slam my girl right into a wall! I wasn't sure what it all meant, if Gloom could do anything now. But then I heard the familiar noise as Gloom began to absorb the remaining life from Kangaskhan!

Kangaskhan immediately realized its flawed attack and tried to throw Gloom away, but Gloom hung on for dear life! As Gloom sucked up life force, Kangaskhan desperately tried slamming her against the wall to break free, but it meant nothing to Gloom, who was healing at a faster rate than hurting!

There was no escape, no chance to stop her or even retreat to Giovanni for help! Just the last few bits of life, taken by my Gloom.

I had taken my eyes off Giovanni to watch Gloom finish off Kangaskhan, not seeing how Giovanni reacted. I was absorbed (sorry…) by the action, I was slowly but surely winning, and there was no stopping Gloom! Yet again Gloom was the one to save me from absolute defeat. I had a great team, and I was glad she was a part of it.

But as Gloom finished, I looked at Giovanni, and it was then I noticed something changed. Gone was his calm, commanding demeanor; he was incensed, bewildered, despite still looking calm. "WHAT! This can't be!" Kangaskhan fell to the floor, defeated.

That was it. I beat the infamous gang leader Giovanni! As he returned his Pokémon, he gazed across the shattered room, most of the damage done by his own Pokémon, and then finally to me. "I see that you raise Pokémon with utmost care."

"Of course. They're my friends, and we all want to become the best there is!" I was still afraid, but determined to show bravery. He may have been the grand villain of this tale, but I was the hero who finished him off.

He chuckled and shook his head. "A child like you would never understand what I hope to achieve." What does he mean? We just won! "I shall step aside this time! I hope we meet again…"

"No…I beat you! You lost! You can't just walk away!" I only had a weak Gloom and an even weaker Calcite, but I couldn't let him leave!

"You think that just because you beat a few of my weaker Pokémon that you stand a chance? Child, that's only one of many I possess. Back off."

Was he bluffing? Was he serious? Should I risk it? The questions raced through my mind, but not fast enough to make a decision in time. He and his two grunt guards stepped into the elevator. Even if I ran, it would be too late. He escaped.

I was crushed. If I hadn't been so afraid, if I had acted quicker…would it have even mattered? I sat on the couch, amazingly intact, and let out my two tired Pokémon. Maybe they could answer my questions.

But suddenly a miracle happened; my Calcite finally had evolved! My Geodude had become a Graveler! Evolution always came when a Pokémon reached a certain level, and it almost seemed fitting Calcite reached it just now. Part of me thought it was a sign, that I should have chased Giovanni. If he had more Pokémon, maybe a newly evolved one would be strong enough to fight back.

But I paid closer attention, as a good Trainer should. Truly, the four-armed rock-warrior was impressive, but his pain was still present, as was Gloom's. Even with them at full health, two Pokémon could easily fall to Giovanni's might. And if he wasn't bluffing, and he stole my team away…it would have been far worse. I think I made the right choice to stay back. I hope.

I returned my teammates and took one last breather. As I got up, I noticed something shiny lying by the table. I reached over to pick it up; it was the Silph Scope! Giovanni must have had it and dropped it!

With the device in hand, I could finally do as that mystery ghost wanted and save Pokémon Tower. Granted, I wasn't looking forward to it, but somebody had to stop those spirits!

As I left the building, it was eerily quiet. Well, it always was, but now without any Rockets in site, it was even creepier. As I reached the top floor with the elevator, I passed by some tables, and for the first time I noticed they weren't just blank; there was something on them!

I inspected it and realized it's a blueprint of some sort. It was filled with diagrams and text. Could this be what Giovanni was talking about earlier? He had said he hoped to achieve something but I couldn't imagine what, and it made me shutter to think about. I figured I should be safe and take a picture of the blueprint, just in case I found someone who could read it. But for now, I just wanted out of the sinister stronghold.

As soon as I got back to Celadon City's Poké Center and healed my team, I found a nice spot to lie down and slept. It was already quite dark, and I was tired from all the spinning, battling, and just general fatigue. I did make sure to send mom a call so she wouldn't worry, but I left out the details of the day. I would tell her someday, but I needed rest.

The Sun rose at the same time it always did, but I didn't rise from the corner I slept in for another two hours. The extra rest worked wonders, and I was ready to start my day. I knew I'd have to be smart about what I did today. I had decided I needed to go to Pokémon Tower next. As much as I'd like to take on Erika, the tower actually needed someone.

It didn't take me long to get back to Lavender Town using the Underground Path, but before I went up, I decided to do some strategizing. Pokémon Tower was filled with Ghost Pokémon, and they were amazingly immune to Normal and Fighting attacks! Sadly this meant that Raticate and Kara-Tee wouldn't help me, but I only deposited Raticate for now. I still wanted to give Kara-Tee a chance to prove itself.

I soon approached the gravesite. I climbed up to the second floor to meet with the Channeler once again. "Welcome back, young trainer," she said. "Are you ready for this task? I must warn you, your time away has only led to a tougher challenge."

Needless to say, that statement worried me. "I've done much training since I was here last. Is it possible to succeed here, with this?" I pulled out the Silph Scope and showed it to her. She nodded.

"Go then; you are as ready as you can be. You've earned the right to face this challenge." Earned the right? Not sure I agree with her wording, but up the stairs I went, ready to face off against the spirits above.

As I reached the third floor, I noticed a slight fog in the area. It wasn't obtrusive to my vision, but it certainly made the area much scarier. I grabbed the Silph Scope and put in it over my eye. I took one step, but I didn't get any farther, as I had my first random encounter in the tower with a Gastly! The device worked by firing an infrared laser that disabled the veil concealing the opposing Pokémon, letting any of my team see it too.

I sent out Daydreamer in pursuit of experience, but before I could launch an attack, another Gastly did before me! Using Night Shade, the new Gastly blasted the first and took it down in one hit! "Um, thank you?" It then looked at me, with an overly happy grin.

"What's with that look…wait, are you the ghost from outside?" I asked with surprise. It nodded…well, it was a floating head, so I'm not sure that's the right word, but it certainly looked happy to see me. "Well, I'm here now and ready to help." It nodded again, but when I tried to take a step forward, it stayed in my way.

"Uh, what? I'm here to fight like you wanted, right?" It nodded again, but this time it looked at my Poké Balls. "Oh...so you want a fight? You want to be a part of my team?" It got a nasty smile, and I could tell it wanted a fight to be mine. "Alright, then let's do this!"

I sent Daydreamer back out and the two of us began a battle! Gastly first tried to Lick Daydreamer, but that wasn't enough, as Confusion threw the gaseous Pokémon into the roof…and through it. I was worried it wouldn't come back, but it did, and ready for more.

"Not so fast, Gastly!" I signaled for Hypnosis, and Gastly fired a Night Shade in response. It hurt Daydreamer hard, but the pain was worth it; Gastly was asleep! I threw a Great Ball with glee, and with a few clicks, Gastly was caught!

After naming Spirit, I took him and the rest of my team to heal up before we continued our mission. A Channeler stood before us, and I went to talk to her to see what she'd say.

"Be gone! Evil spirit!" Hey! Oh that's it! Whether she was insulting me or Spirit, she'd pay! This lady actually used a Gastly too, making for a fitting defeat as my Gastly used Confuse Ray. She did too, but mine was stronger in the end and managed to beat the jerk.

"Whew! The spirit left!" she said after being defeated. Wait, did she mean her own Pokémon?

"What are you talking about, lady?" I asked in response. I was still feeling bitter about her statement earlier, but she explained.

"The Ghosts! They've been trying to possess me! My friends were possessed too!" I didn't believe what I was hearing. I tried to get her to say more, but she didn't offer much assurance. "You should save my friends! The tower must be cleansed of negative energy!" Thanks. Although I did decide to talk to another Channeler, but that didn't go well either…

"Urrg…Awaa…Huhu…graa.." The Channeler didn't just look possessed, she acted like it too! She swung around and released a Gastly in a spine-chilling style. I sent out Daydreamer first to take on her Gastly, and although it has a powerful Night Shade, I had a critical Confusion! "Hwa! I'm saved!"

"Wait, so you were possessed?!" I didn't know it was possible for a Pokémon to do that, but now I've seen it with my own eyes!

"Yes," she said, "Pokémon Tower is behaving bizarrely, and so are the ghosts within it." She looked at me carefully and saw what I was wearing. "The Ghosts can be identified by the Silph Scope."

"Um, yeah, I know. That's why I'm wearing it." She seemed to think she was the creator of the brilliant idea and sent me to stop more ghosts. I never imagined busting ghosts would be a thankless job…

"Kekeke….Kwaaah!" Yeah, I'm pretty sure this lady is possessed too… Spirit was a useful Pokémon, but he soon became too weak to keep up the fight, so I let Daydreamer finish off her Gastly. She had walked up to me just fine before the challenge, but after blasting away her Gastly, she was disoriented. "Hmm? What am I doing?"

"You came after me with your Gastly," I said matter-of-factly.

"Sorry!" she said. "I was possessed." I nodded and began to turn. "Wait! There are more Channelers, and with the way the Pokémon have been acting…"

"Thanks for the concern, Miss," I countered, "but I'll be fine. Just wait here." With that, I continued through the tower. The Pokémon here weren't too tough, but they were fighting harder than the average Pokémon would. Something definitely is wrong here.

And as I reached the fourth floor, things only got worse. "Be cursed with me! Kwaaah!" Now I'm worried; can they curse me? Would…Spirit possess me too? I shook the thoughts from my mind and let Daydreamer take down her Gastlys. "What!" the Channeler yelled after being freed from the ghosts' grip on her.

"Are you okay, lady?" She sat down, liberated from a double possession. Can't imagine how that felt…

"Yes…yes, I'll be fine," she muttered. "We can't crack the identity of the ghosts." Ghosts? What identity is there to crack? She must just be dazed, so I let her rest.

But the possessions only got weirder and weirder from there. "Huhuhu… Beat me not!" Clearly the higher we got, the worse the possessions got. Her Gastly went down easily enough, but what she said afterward was only more disturbing. "Huh? Who? What?"

"Madam, you were possessed. The Ghost Pokémon in the tower are possessing people." She closed her eyes and began thinking.

"I fear I know why." I wanted to question her, but all she'd say was, "May the departed souls of Pokémon rest in peace…"

Something is going on, and the Channelers may be the only ones who can answer me. I went to question another, until I saw something disturbing. "Ghost! No! Kwaaah!" Her own Pokémon just possessed her before my eyes! Then, it looked at me. "You…next…" Daydreamer came out just in time and threw the Gastly away with Confusion! But it came back strong with Confuse Ray. Could that be what they use to take the Channelers over?!

Sadly, Confusion took Daydreamer out, leaving Calcite to finish the job. "Where is the Ghost?" she asked after the Gastly vanished.

"Gone," I said. "Where? I don't know, but at least it's gone for now." The lady looked around. "Hey, I have questions about the Ghost Pokémon here, can you-"

"I must have been dreaming…" You'd think she'd believe me, since this IS her job…

The fifth floor continued to up the frightening vibe. Along with lots of darkness and tombstones, the fog in the building was still strongly present all around us. It didn't murk up my sight, but I was worried my Pokémon's accuracy would decrease if it kept increasing. I went over to the next lady and expected a next battle, but something unexpected happened.

"Come, child!" she said in a worried but protective tone. "I sealed this space with white magic! You can rest here!" Wary but willing, I entered the purified, protected zone. And, like magic, my Pokémon were fully healed!

"Thank you miss, the battles here were starting to wear down my team." She bowed to me and said I could stay as long as I needed, but that I should leave this place. "I would, but someone has to help the people here! Which reminds me…why do the ghosts possess everyone in here?"

She sighed and lamented the situation to me. "I'm afraid it all goes back to the death of the Marowak. Hers was a horrible one, and now all the Pokémon here are unsettled. Some are even evolving irregularly!" Evolving irregularly?! That really doesn't sound good… I decided to keep going forward and saving the rest of the Channelers here.

"Zombies!" Yet another Gastly, and quite an odd statement too. But they were acting like zombies, so maybe not. Either way, she lost with ease. "Ha? I regained my senses!" Good, hopefully the rest will too.

"Urgah… Urff…." Why are they so weird? Is it just that the possession isn't accurate? Or maybe ghosts don't know how to act like humans? Either way, this Channeler had another Gastly, but like before, I won! "Whoo!" Uh…glad she's happy about it too. Her senses regained, she said, "I fell to evil spirits despite my training!" Troublesome…

"You…shall…join…us…" These Channelers are becoming a nuisance. Or rather their Gastlys, but Daydreamer was beating them down with ease thanks to the healing magic, so I had no more worries. The ghosts were hardly even scary by this point. "What a nightmare! I was possessed!" the Channeler said once freed.

I moved on to the next Channeler. "Give…me…your…soul…" Okay, no, they're still scary. Seriously, what?! Then the unexpected happened; the Channeler released a very scary Haunter. If I remembered right, it was the next evolution of Gastly, but that only made it much, much scarier.

"You have lots of power, you evil spirit, but I have Hypnosis!" I shouted to knock away any fear, and watched as Daydreamer worked his magic…or whatever. It was a tough fight, but she was beat!

"Gasp!" she uttered as her consciousness returned. I was about to offer some comfort, but defeating her Haunter had an added bonus: Daydreamer is evolving! His limbs thinned out and he grew a ring of fur. He had become a Hypno! My powerhouse finally became far more powerful. With a brighter Pokémon, the dank tower felt brighter too.

First I looked at the newly sane Channeler, and then looked Daydreamer over again. For once, my quirky friend was weirded out, but he was smart enough to understand what I was up to. Assured he looked normal, I patted my newly evolved friend on the head while the Channeler stood up. "I was under possession!"

"I noticed," I answered, recalled what her Haunter said… "Do you know how many more of you there are?"

"Only three more, but be careful. As the fog thickens, the power of the Ghosts increase. They may try to take you…"

That's…great. Before I went to the sixth floor, I went to heal again. I'm not taking any chances. Having Spirit on my team was a bit worrisome too, but I figured the rest of my friends wouldn't let me get taken over, so I let him lead for awhile.

"Give…me…blood…" …Okay, I want to go home now. My Gastly was fast enough to use Confuse Ray, but it could have just been because that Gastly kept watching me…

But that wasn't enough, as the possessed Channeler sent out another Gastly! "Confuse Ray!" Spirit's speed continued to keep me in the lead, but he was getting tired now. "Lick it till it faints!" I shouted, hoping to inspire my newest friend. He certainly was happy to fight for me, and didn't worry about beating on his wayward associates.

After beating the second Gastly, the enemy had a third! We both used Confuse Ray, but that was okay, as I'd let my new Hypno finish it off! Daydreamer had no trouble taking down the Gastly, freeing the Channeler from a rather extreme possession. After being freed from the ghosts, she truly looked dreadful. "Groan! I feel anemic and weak…"

"Miss, just please, try to rest. Help will come soon." She nodded and rested against a tombstone. This was going too far.

"Ke..ke…ke…ke..ke…ke!" the next Channeler uttered. I don't know if these Channelers are getting creepier or not, but I just want them gone. Spirit got a lucky break and managed to finish off her Gastly without breaking a sweat. "Keee!" she (or maybe the ghost) shouted. I won again! And as if that wasn't enough, Spirit evolved!

Now a terrifying Haunter, I was worried for a minute that something was wrong with him, but he gave me a joyful smile and messed with my hat with his new hands. "Hey!" I said in a mock-angry tone, but then it hit me. "Wait, you only just grew hands now, right? How did you put your hand on my shoulder earlier?"

Spirit looked at me with a face that just seemed both juvenile and apologetic. "You…didn't…right?" He smirked, his tongue sticking out. I gave him a hardened stare. "Please don't put your tongue on me again." He nodded, but still laughed to himself.

"Ahem," the lady behind us muttered. "What's going on here?"

"Um," I said to myself, my new Haunter having a hard time holding in his laughter. "It's a long story, ma'am."

"Urff… Kwaah!" What is wrong with these ladies? Spirit crushed her Gastly, and removed yet another threat in the process, but they were just too weird. As she came to, she said, "Something fell out!" Uh…do I want to know what it was? "Hair didn't fall out! It was an evil spirit!" Not the words I would have used, but I'm glad she's better.

After another visit to the strange purification square to heal my team, I was ready to go to the seventh floor. However, it wasn't that easy. The fog, which before had been just below a hindrance, was now almost clouding one specific spot: the stairs to the next floor. I wasn't going to question it, until I heard something…

"Be gone… Intruders…" Another talking ghost? Could it really be possible? And it was, as the Ghost appeared!

"That's not possible, not with the Silph Scope!" Sure enough, the Silph Scope began making a loud hum to try and identify the Pokémon, and unveiled the Ghost's identity! The ghost was Marowak!

Could this be the Marowak everyone was talking about? The one that died? "Look, Marowak, I don't want to fight." Considering that she tried to throw a Bonemerang at me, it did. "Fine! Go, Spirit!" I hoped Spirit could talk to her, but she wouldn't talk at all! "Just use Confuse Ray, that might help get through to her!"

Confuse Ray did work, but the mother wouldn't listen to a word I said. "Um…wait, I know!" I figured catching Pokémon made them friends… "Go, Poké Ball!" But rather than be captured, it dodged the thrown ball! "Ugh! This Pokémon can't be caught! Can it?" Spirit sadly shook his head.

The confused Pokémon hit herself again, giving me time to think. I knew what the only option left was, but I didn't want to take it. "Confuse Ray one more time, and try to commune with it!" Spirit didn't seem to like my plan, but he followed orders loyally.

As if to mock my requests for communication, she used Leer! I sighed, realizing I had little choice. "Fine…Spirit, attack with Night Shade." Marowak followed up with Leer, but it wouldn't last another turn against Spirit. "Night Shade again," I said sadly. But somehow, it hung on! It threw another Bonemerang, but Spirit dodged with poise! "Night Shade!" And with that, the enemy Marowak fainted.

We both weren't feeling too happy with the conclusion, but we had to face facts. "The Ghost was the restless soul of Cubone's mother. Right?" Spirit nodded. "I understand it was tough to fight her, but it was for the best. The mother's soul was calmed. It departed to the afterlife…" Spirit smiled modestly. I think he was satisfied too.

The final floor was surrounded by people instead of Pokémon. And aside from one old man, they were all Rocket Grunts.

Since I had severe doubts the Rockets had any Ghost Pokémon, it was time for Kara-Tee to shine! "What do you want? Why are you here?" the first grunt asked.

"What do I want? To beat you. Why am I here? Well, I think I answered that too." He was super mad, so he angrily threw his Poké Ball to the ground, letting out his Zubat. Kara-Tee surprised me in the fight, paying more attention to my hand-commands and acting less lazy, yet she had been continuing this trend since Giovanni.

Kara-Tee was on a roll today, laying out critical hits again and again on the grunt's two Zubats and fighting off confusion! At first I was worried about the gross new Golbat the Rocket sent out, but Kara was still able to handle it, albeit more dangerously. Using Leer to weaken Golbat's defenses, Kara ended the fight with some Karate Chops!

"I give up!" the Rocket cried. We looked smugly at the Rocket, knowing he never stood a chance. But anger lived on in his eyes. "I'm not going to forget this!" He walked off, never to be seen again.

"This old guy marched right up to our hideout. Then, he starts ranting about how Team Rocket's abusing Pokémon!" Well, you are. "So, we're just talking it over as adults." That's very hard to believe, but regardless, I intended to beat up his team! My Machop had a tougher time with his Koffing, but she pulled it off.

With the threat of a Drowzee, I brought out my heavy hitter, Hypno, just to show off. Flash dropped his accuracy, allowing Daydreamer to Headbutt his without a worry! He did manage to put Daydreamer to sleep, but as soon as he woke up, the match was over!

"Please! No more!" Clearly my team was getting really good to inspire fear in the gangsters. But as if that wasn't enough, Kara-Tee evolved! I don't know what made this fog so special, but if it was messing with evolution, then it led to _three_evolutions in a row! My Machoke was impressed with herself and me.

"I hope you learned your lesson, sir." Not sure why I was polite to the jerks, but I was in a good mood. "You really shouldn't use them for such evil purposes."

"Pfft, please!" he ranted. "Pokémon are only good for making money. Why not use them? You stay out of our business!"

"Not sure my Machoke heard that. Care to repeat it?" He didn't dare, and walked off as fast as he could.

I was finally close enough to call out to the elderly fellow. "Sir, are you alright?" The Rocket Grunt cut me off, both with words and with his body.

"You're not saving anyone, kid!" With four Pokémon, he wouldn't be a pushover, but I had an evolved team with me now! And with Calcite, his Zubat's brittle wings were battered by Rock Throw! A critical hit downed the bat, forcing the Grunt to use a Rattata.

"Go! Kara-Tee!" She was tired and weak, but a Low Kick sent the rat crashing into the wall; fainted in one hit! "Got anything better?" I said slyly. He threatened to throw in Raticate, and I asked Machoke if she could handle another round. With a cocky nod, I let her stay once more.

"Raticate, go, win! Use Tackle!" The moment the rat came out, it went for a Tackle, throwing Kara-Tee across the floor. But she hung on! With a unctuous look, she charged in and followed the Tackle with a Low Kick, fainting his rat in one hit! "GAH!" the grunt yelled. The old man behind him couldn't help but smile. "ZUBAT! End him!"

Kara-Tee had enough, so I had her come back and let Charmeleon end the battle with a critical Ember! Talk about an easy match! With the last Rocket defeated, he yelled at me in malice. "Don't fight us Rockets!" I gave him a questioning look, but he ignored it. "You're not getting away with this!"

"How right you are," I know that man's voice.

"But since you lost, you should just go!" And the girl's…

"Yeah! Scram!" And…the cat's…

"Really? Wasn't beating you in your own hideout enough?" I said with lots and lots of exasperation. I was getting tired, and my team, despite all the healing, was getting tired too. I went to grab a newer, fresher Pokémon, since I knew a fight was inevitable.

"Stop right there!" James cried. "If we didn't let Mr. Fuji leave, we certainly can't let you go!"

"Not after that humiliating defeat in Celadon, at least!" Jessie continued. "Grandpa here wanted to complain, so we're setting him straight." They both reached for their Poké Balls…were they going to fight together?

"Unless you're really that cowardly," Meowth said in a derisive manner. "So render yourself invisible, or prepare to fight!"

Sure enough, the two Rocket Grunts threw out their Pokémon together. But if they wanted a double battle, so be it! It seems like they also had evolved their Pokémon; Jessie sent out an Arbok and James sent out a Weezing. "See, twerp, we're so much better than you already!" Jessie boasted.

"Sure, let's go with that," I said, sending out a tired Kara-Tee and Calcite, who was itching for a battle. Needless to say, they were worried I had evolved Pokémon too. I knew they'd go straight for my weakened team member, so I immediately retracted her and brought out Daydreamer!

A flurry of Poison Sting barbs and a blob of Sludge flew at my Pokémon, but all it did was hit my Hypno, hardly hurting him at all. "Uh oh," they murmured in unison.

In one swoop, Hypno used Confusion, throwing the snake into the roof, and Calcite pummeled Weezing with Rock Throw. They only lasted one more turn, the two trying to Bite and Tackle Daydreamer, but he stood tall as the two opponents fainted!

The Rockets became very worried and very afraid, so in defense, Jessie grabbed Meowth and threw him at Daydreamer! "Fight, Meowth! Save us!" His screams were ignored as he slammed into my Hypno, but Calcite was getting annoyed by being ignored.

He walked over and picked up Meowth by the tail. "Hey, watch it buddy!" As soon as he realized Calcite had three arms left, he tried to use Screech, hoping it would hurt our ears, but Calcite only got madder. "Just Tackle it away!" I yelled over the loudmouth. And with that, Meowth flew across the graveyard and right into his friends!

With that, the Rockets were beat, and Pokémon Tower was saved! "Ugh…this isn't over, brat…" James said.

"Yeah," Jessie said, picking herself up. "We only lost because we went easy on you."

Meowth, barely able to stand, continued with, "Just wait till we tell the boss about this!"

"Guys, just, just please give up," I responded. "I know you're trying, but seeing you lose is starting to get painful."

They weren't happy about hearing the truth. "You'll pay!" they said together. "But until then," Weezing floated up slowly, unleashed more Smog than there was fog. "Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!"

I finally, without distraction or delay, could walk up to and talk to the old man. "Are you alright, sir? I think all the Rocket Grunts are gone.

"Heh?" he said as I walked over. "You came to save me?" I nodded to show my approval, and he bowed to me. "Thank you. But, I came here of my own free will."

"Why? You did know how dangerous it is here, right?" Even with the villains gone, I could still see the ghosts acting peculiar. It was not a settling sight.

"I came to calm the soul of Cubone's mother." He took a great sigh before continuing. "Team Rocket still being here, I didn't expect it, and they prevented me from doing what I had to do. But, I think Marowak's spirit has finally left us." I nodded again, but still kept quiet. No words were needed to confirm that fact.

With that matter settled, he looked at me and smiled. "I must thank you for your kind concern. Follow me to my home, Pokémon House, at the foot of this tower." I did, and he brought me to the orphanage of Lavender Town. As we walked back, I learned his name was Mr. Fuji, and I told him about the quest Professor Oak sent me on. H was surprised to hear that name, but only said that, "All old people know each other."

Mr. Fuji, as it turns out, ran and lived in the house, taking care of Pokémon and children from all over Kanto. "Red…" he said with a warm and somber tone. "Your Pokédex quest is one that requires strong dedication. Without deep love for Pokémon, your quest may fail. I'm not sure if this will help you, but I'd like you to have it." He dug in his pockets and pulled out a Poké Flute…and gave it to me!

"Upon hearing the Poké Flute, sleeping Pokémon will spring awake." I could tell this would be a very useful item! "It works on all sleeping Pokémon. It's quite rare, but it was a great gift from Pokémon Fan Magazine. But I think you'll have better use for it. Try using it on Pokémon that are sleeping obstacles." Obstacles? Not sure I understood him, but with one final good-bye, I left him to his business and went on my own.

As I left the building, I ran into the same lass I met from the exit to Rock Tunnel! She still seemed like a bratty girl, but she asked me a question I didn't understand. "Did Mr. Fuji get any foreign Pokémon yet?"

"Uh…they all looked like local Pokémon to me," I answered. She cursed in response, which took me by complete surprise.

"The Pokémon here are so chunky!" …Chunky? Like…rock Pokémon? "There should be a pink one with a floral pattern!" With that, she walked past me and went inside. She must have been dreaming, there was no way there'd ever be a Pokémon like that.

Now that all my efforts were finished, having taken down all of Team Rocket (except the Saffron City Rockets), and with plenty of training, I could finally take on the Celadon City Gym!

I hurried over, healing along the way, and Cut past the trees. But I wasn't the only one at the gym; an old man was looking through the windows. "Um, excuse me sir, is there something wrong with the gym?"

He looked over at me, a huge, almost terrifying smile on his face. "Wrong?! Silly boy, no way! Heheh!" He could barely talk over his jubilation. "This gym is great! It's full of women!" Uh…well, okay…

As I expected, Jim wasn't here, but he must have already written Blue's name on the Winning Trainers list. It didn't matter either way, as I was going to probably beat him again eventually. What mattered now was taking on the nature loving princess and the rest of her Gym Trainers.

"Hey! You are not allowed in here!" What?! Since when? I didn't care; I was going to get my badge after all I went through! And it didn't matter, as her Bellsprout and Weepinbell fell to Charmeleon and his relentless Ember. The only surprise was they didn't go down in one hit. "You're too rough!"

"So what? You girls can't kick me out just because I'm a boy!" She was very, very angry about that, but the Lass knew I was right.

"Bleaah!" she bellowed. "I hope Erika wipes you out!" I don't know what her problem was, but at least the other Gym Trainers didn't get snippy with me (although one girl thought I was the peeping tom…). Nor did their Pokémon give us problems, which only made me wonder if I really should use Charmeleon. I did want some challenge after all…

So after beating the other Gym Trainers, I decided I'd have Charmeleon sit back and act as a last resort. He was already the strongest Pokémon I had, so he didn't need the experience as much.

I approached the only lady left to battle, a woman dressed in a kimono. She had almost a sleepy, downright airy look to her. She actually didn't even notice me for almost a minute until I said something. "Um, excuse me, Miss. You're the Gym Leader, right?"

It took her a few seconds, but she finally responded. "Hello," she yawned, as if in a dream. "Lovely weather, isn't it?"

"…In the gym?" She's…really weird.

"It's so pleasant," she continued. She finally turned her eyes on me. "…Oh dear… I must have dozed off. Welcome. My name is Erika. I am the Leader of Celadon Gym. I am a student of the art of flower arranging. My Pokémon are of the Grass type."

"This is all well and good," I answered, "but you're kind of winding on, and I'm here to battle…" I didn't mean to be rude, but her yawning was contagious.

"…Oh, I'm sorry. I had no idea that you wished to challenge me." Well yeah, why else would I be here? "Very well, but I shall not lose." Her smile, and confidence, was contagious too.

"Come on out, Victreebel." She said lazily. Wow, that thing looks tough, but I have someone tough to fight it!

"Go! Spirit!" But she wasn't impressed, or scared. She just yawned! I decided to inflict her Victreebel with Confusion to show we mean business. "Confuse Ray!"

Spirit was faster, and therefore the attack hit the plant immediately, but it didn't help. "Victreebel, it's getting late." I didn't get it at first, but then Victreebel spewed out Sleep Powder!

The first shot missed, but she hit me the second time! "That's fine; we've got plenty of time to win!" I jested.

"I know," she plainly answered. She was mocking me! "Autumn is coming soon," she murmured, and in response her Pokémon shot Razor Leafs at my sleeper! But once my Haunter woke up, I motioned to Spirit to do Lick. It did damage, but with the confused status, it only hurt more! Plus, Victreebel got paralyzed!

I gave Spirit the order for Night Shade; it hit so hard, that I really wondered if I could sweep her! "You've got an odd way to order your Pokémon around, but I'll still win!"

"Perhaps, but you make me sleepy." She wasn't just mocking me, she was using Sleep Powder! That only would last for so long, yet she wasn't worried. Not a bit. But that was okay; Spirit would wake up soon. "Leaves are fun to sleep on." This girl is weeeird. But Spirit woke up and Licked her Victreebel to defeat!

Next was her Tangela, and next was my Machoke! "Heh, I don't normally need to resort to her so soon." What? But she's a lower level! Whatever, I ordered a Karate Chop. Erika didn't seem fazed by my hand-commands; instead, she made a new command. "Please watch where you cough." Her confusing tactics worked, because Kara-Tee got struck with a PoisonPowder! Kara-Tee was poisoned, but she also landed a critical hit!

Erika wouldn't stand for the pain though. "Let Mother Nature take care of you." What? But I saw the move soon enough: Ingrain. It would reward her with health, but I was going to win regardless! I almost felt bad about how easy this was, but Erika had another order. Literally.

"I'm feeling hungry." Tangela somehow stole my Machoke's health, leaving my Pokémon reeling! These attacks were a lot stronger than I thought. I pulled my Machoke back in. "That was Giga Drain, by the way. Not an easy move to live through."

"Fine, take her down, Daydreamer!" My Hypno was more than happy to help, but first… "Daydreamer! Stop sniffing the flowers!" The weirdo couldn't help himself, taking in the smells from all around him. My hand covered my face in shame, but then I saw Erika and Tangela do the same thing! "What are you three doing?!"

Erika kept sniffing as she answered, "Why, don't you like flowers? Surely pausing a fight to smell them can't harm your chances."

"Look, Miss," I said with growing fury, "I don't have any fear about winning, I just want to get this fight over with." She let out a sigh.

"Very well," Erika answered, "I'm sorry, little Daydreamer. Please get better soon." Daydreamer couldn't dodge in time; he was pelted with poisonous dust!

Daydreamer gathered his wits and saw I commanded Hypnosis. Erika got jealous as Tangela fell asleep. I only got madder. But all that was needed was a Confusion to take down Tangela! Erika stood up, and judging by her face, was finally feeling some energy.

Erika grinned. "Come on out, Vileplume!" With such an easy fight, I only needed Daydreamer to end the fight. "Hmm…very well, have some dinner." Before I could even blink, my Pokémon's health was drained to near-defeat!

"But…I…that was, instantaneous!"

"Practically," she said, half smiling, half sleeping. I wasn't happy, but I had to keep control. I threw in Gloom, as if to show off which evolution of Oddish was better, but Gloom's Acid was hardly a painful move against Vileplume.

"We should all take a nap," Erika randomly said. But Vileplume got the message, unleashing a cloud of Sleep Powder!

"No! Gloom!" I managed to keep from being battered, but everyone else, including Erika's Gym Trainers and herself got hit! Vileplume and I were the only ones awake… "Uh…you put your master to sleep, you know." Vileplume nodded, and waltzed over tap her awake. I had to think fast before Erika could order a Giga Drain, and then it hit me: the Poké Flute!

I pulled it out just as Erika began to stir, when I realized, "How do I play a flute?!"

"Mmm…" Erika uttered. Shoot! I didn't have a choice, so I put my lips to it and blew as hard as I could, wiggling my fingers on the air holes. A song, albeit a really crappy one, came out, and Gloom woke up!

"Great! Okay Gloom, hit that Vileplume with Cut, now!" Erika woke up in time just to see Vileplume fly across the grass and into a tree! Vileplume was shaken up by the attack.

"Vileplume! Start coughing!" Vileplume shot a giant wad of Acid at Gloom, but I had Gloom follow suit! Both Pokémon were hit, but my attack was critical! Vileplume fell over, conquered!

"Oh! I concede defeat. You are remarkably strong," she said with a big smile. Compliments make me smile too. "I must confer you the Rainbow Badge." Yes! Another badge! Finally!

"The Rainbow Badge will make Pokémon up to Level 50 obey. It also allows Pokémon to use Strength in and out of battle." Hmm, that sounds useful. "Please also take this with you." I received TM19! "TM19 contains Giga Drain. Half the damage it inflicts is drained to heal your Pokémon. Wouldn't you agree it's a wonderful move?"

"Thank you!" I said with great vigor! All this will help me beat the other gyms and collect all sorts of Pokémon for the Pokédex!"

She looked quite surprised when I said that. "You are cataloging Pokémon? I must say I'm impressed. I would never collect Pokémon if they were unattractive." I see… 

Before healing (since none of my team had fainted, I didn't need to), I went to talk to Jim Gai, but he was a bit busy… "They offer rare Pokémon that can be exchanged for your coins. But, I just can't seem to win!" I guess that explains why he has none…

I asked about his job and he answered, "Yeah, don't worry; I caught the end of the fight, just barely, before the girls kicked me out." I wasn't going to ask about that embarrassing story…

With a call to Mom to explain about my triumph at the gym, she was super proud of me. But once again, I was too afraid to tell her about my experience against the mysterious Giovanni. How could I tell my mother I fought a mob boss? And if I couldn't tell her now, then maybe it was better to not tell her at all…

All these thoughts crossed my mind as I lay under the stars with my Pokémon. I figured there was no reason to worry about gangsters or bike thugs or any sort of thief; we just beat the fourth gym in Kanto, and my team was brave and strong.

Charmeleon lay behind me, our heads meeting. Gloom lay at my feet, not sleepy, but tired from lots of fighting. Daydreamer sat with her too, but he was clearly sleeping. Spirit was also nocturnal, so he didn't really lie down, but I could only imagine he'd sleep floating. Kara-Tee and Calcite seemed to have a bit of dispute, which Charmeleon was about ready to forcefully stop, but they calmed down and slept at opposite sides of me.

Overall, the team was happy to finally rest from fighting. Truthfully I wanted to keep going on, but I needed a break from battling, so I decided I'd make tomorrow fun for everybody. That night, I had strange dreams of mountains and shadowy warriors of relentless power.

The morning shined on us, and we all stretched and yawned ourselves awake. "Alright, guys, I've been thinking about things, and I figure you all deserve something special. The past few days have been really tough and scary, and you all made me proud. So for today, just chill out around here, hang out, and later we'll do something fun, like a game or something! Sound good?" They all cheered, and I smiled wide.

Kara-Tee and Calcite stood by themselves, still sore about the near-fight they had, just exercising and trying out their new forms. Gloom and Daydreamer were off smelling trees and flowers and such; Gloom had best be careful, or she'd be as eccentric as him. And Spirit…well, he played pranks on everybody, including me and Charmeleon. We figured out pretty quick what we wanted to do with the team, so we just decided to chill out.

I was getting bored, but I saw Charmeleon was napping, and I didn't want to disturb him yet, so I reached around in my background to find some TMs to look over when my hand smacked something hard. "Ow! What in the world?" Digging for a bit, I pulled out my old and forgotten Teachy TV!

The old man from Viridian City (apparently named Old Man…) gave me it so long ago, I had forgotten. "Well, I might as well watch, see if I've progressed beyond his grandson." It was easy to turn on, and it led me to several different program options. I chose the first, "Teach me how to battle."

Teachy TV's logo flashed on the screen, and the grandson walked on screen. "Hey, all you Trainers out there! HELLO, TRAINERS!" Uh…

"Come on, let me hear you! HELLO, TRAINERS!" Um…hello trainers? "It's me, the Poké Dude!" Really? "Today, the Poké Dude's here to tell you about how you can battle Pokémon!" I have a feeling this runs in the family.

"Say you're out for a stroll when, suddenly, a wild Pokémon appears! It's up to you to smartly use your Pokémon and their moves to reduce the opponent's HP to nothing, and claim victory!" Well, he certainly has good advice for novice trainers so far; I'd say he's better than his grandfather.

"I'll show you how to do that in person and for sure!" he said as he motioned toward the grass behind him. "All righty, here goes! Keep your eyes glued to the super Poké Dude Show!" Uh…

He soon battled a Pidgey with his Ratatta. He won the battle pretty quick despite being underleveled. "Huh, I guess I was wrong to misjudge this thing. Maybe it would have helped when I started out."

The show finally ended, with the Poké Dude's parting words. "Remember, Trainers, a good deed a day brings happiness to stay!" …Corny?

I watched a few more after that. It got sillier. "Just imagine… A groovy Pokémon suddenly appearing in the wild!" What? "Oh, you want it! You just can't help it!" Very creepy now…

His other videos weren't helping that. "All it takes for you to see me is pressing one button! That kind of attention is a little embarrassing!" No kidding…

After having enough of his silly antics, I focused back on the game at hand. I had everyone gather together. "Okay guys, so I thought about it a lot, and I decided that our game would be to find me!" They looked at me very confused; exactly as planned.

"You each team up and try to find me. It won't be easy, but you'll be in pairs, so there's hope!" They seemed confused but willing to try. "Okay, start looking in five minutes! I'll see you all soon! And don't go too far!" I said as I ran into the woods. I knew it was kind of dangerous to go into a deep and dark forest, but I had faith this game would pay off.

After seeing what happened between Calcite and Kara-Tee, I decided the team needed a bonding moment, so I made sure to have Charmeleon pair them together. Charmeleon himself would be with Spirit to reel in the mischief-maker, and Gloom and Daydreamer were working together.

But after five minutes passed, I was already getting a bit bored. I figured it wouldn't hurt to go a little deeper, and I was right to do it. After squeezing through a few more trees, I noticed a clearing in the forest, filled with flowers and dozens of Pokémon!

"Wow," I said. I couldn't keep my exclamation private. Even ignoring all the Pokémon, some even rare, the area was beautiful.

"It truly is a marvel," a woman replied to my left. Startled, I saw her emerge from the trees; it was Erika! "You're Red, right?" I nodded, and she waltzed into the garden and kneeled down, motioning me over.

"This little space is reserved for the peaceful Pokémon of the forest," she commented. "Not many people get to see this place, and for good reason." A wild Tangela came over and actually started nuzzling against her lap!

"Seeing wild Pokémon so friendly," I remarked, "It's so unique. Most Pokémon seem only interested in battle." She nodded as a couple baby Growlithe wandered over. I couldn't help but kneel down and try to pet them; to my surprise, they let me!

"Yes, well, out there, it's a battle for territory," she answered. I looked to her face, and for once it wasn't just sleepy; it was forlorn. "But here, it's as if Pokémon decide to keep this spot precious and natural. The young ones don't fear humans; in here they're raised like we raise children, mostly." She motioned behind me. "When they get older, they go out there, mature and ready to take on the world, quite literally. But," she said, words locked behind her lips, "it used to be much different."

"Different?" I asked. "You mean this place was a battleground too?" She nodded. The little Growlithe nibbled my fingers, but I ignored it to hear the story.

"Many years ago, when I was your age, this enclosed area was actually a natural arena for the Pokémon to duel. Unlike anywhere else, it was special because all of the kids from town would come to watch the battles, cheering and jeering with respect and disdain. Overall, it was quite horrible."

"But Pokémon are meant to fight, right? I mean, that's what you do."

"Yes," she answered, "but these fights…were not respectable." She was having a tough time with the words. She looked at me, as if trying to judge if I was ready to hear them. "You're too young to know this, but the fights were barbaric, to say the least. Very rarely did Pokémon survive…"

I could tell the story wasn't getting any more pleasant, but I wanted to hear more. "And…did no one try to help them? Or stop them?"

"It doesn't matter," she said dejectedly. "It happens everywhere, it was just in this spot where we watched it like a sport. Pokémon are very harsh at times, and even if we try to help them, they can be harsh to us humans." The words were haunting, reminding me of what could have happened to Beedrill, and the attack on me by that Zubat.

"I'm actually glad I got to see you again." I looked up at her curiously. "I noticed our battle much more than you did, and I was worried at what kind of trainer you really were." I was very confused by this remark, so I pushed for more information. "You fight with a fiery passion. I admire it. Heh, it reminds me of myself sometimes."

"You?!" I said too loudly, and felt stupid for it.

"Yes, I was more expressive with my passion as a child. You see," she said as she picked up a Poké Ball from under her kimono, "I met my Vileplume here. Well, an Oddish. She was going to be forced to fight, but I saw her scared look and carried her home. When she finally grew up to be a strong Gloom, we came in the middle of the night and fought all the Pokémon in the area."

I was surprised, since she never struck me as a proactive person, but it was no lie. In her eyes, that passionate side flared; she still had it in her. "After we beat them all, I made it clear we owned the land now, and after that it became a peaceful enclosure." She was back to her sleepy smile again.

For some reason, hearing all that, both the good and bad, put me at peace. I let myself lay on the ground and looked through the leaves into the sunlight. I had learned more with her than I had expected, and I felt much better for it.

"Where are your Pokémon, Red?" she asked. For a second I felt too sluggish to answer, but then I realized what she said.

"Oh yeah!" I exclaimed. "We were playing hide-and-seek, and they haven't found me yet!" I went to jump up, but she held me down.

"Don't worry, they'll find you. It is part of the game after all." She was right, but I was still troubled. "You really love your Pokémon, huh?"

"Yeah," I admitted, "I cherish them like, well, family. I guess that's not weird to you." She shook her head with a smile. "I just wish it wasn't so hard. Sometimes I feel bad letting them get boxed."

She closed her eyes and sighed. "Yes, it can be tough to lose friends. But think of it this way," she turned, "You are young and have many years ahead of you. You have much training to do if you want to be a Pokémon master, so you'll have to continue training new members for your team. But as long as you remember all the friends you made along the way, and as long as you help them grow and mature, they'll love you for it."

It was logic I just couldn't disagree with, and knew that I wouldn't want to. Within a couple moments, Charmeleon and Spirit arrived on the scene, and it didn't take much longer for Gloom and Daydreamer either. They all were stunned by the flowery field, and had fun playing and stuff.

Eventually Calcite and Kara-Tee came too, still annoyed at each other. After they got over the shock of seeing the beauty, I came up to them to talk. "What took you two? Were you fighting again?" They looked dismal, but even without that my Pokégear could tell they had hurt each other somewhat.

"Look, I think you two should go relax with the others tonight, but you guys need to work as a team here; we're on our way through the Pokémon League after all!" Calcite seemed apologetic, but Kara-Tee was still very lax.

I sighed to myself. "Go ahead, go play." They did, but Kara-Tee was still quite negligent to participate in the fun. I could only imagine that she wasn't fitting in, but I wasn't sure what to do.

"A troublesome one, isn't she?" Erika said, startling me at my side. I composed myself and nodded. "Yes, I know the feeling. I would suggest letting her be alone for awhile. She may not help your team now, but someday you'll be older and wiser, and that is when you can truly impress and train her." She began to walk away toward the forest.

"Hey, where are you going?" I asked. She looked back, that sleepy smile still on her face.

"I can see you have things under control here," she replied. "But before I go, just remember this Red. Passion is great, but don't let it overwhelm you."

It was an amazing night. The stars were obscured by the lights of Celadon, but some poked through still. The real fun came from the Pokémon that all hung around with us. I had called Mom to tell her about it; she was quite jealous! Even Kara-Tee was having some fun, but mostly just slept. The others were still playing when Charmeleon lay beside me.

He still had a gleam in his eyes as he stared skyward. I wasn't sure what it meant, but my imagination could continue to wonder. Those fantasies began to pull me into the dream world, and soon I was asleep. The morning was actually very abrupt to me, as a pack of Growlithe wandered in, the littlest puppies nibbling on my shoes.

The parents, also Growlithe, seemed to trust me, so I didn't fret that I was surrounded. After everyone was roused awake, I told them we'd finally head to Cycling Road, and get on our way. I didn't know what to expect, but no obstacle would stop me!

Except a Snorlax. When I had left Celadon City, I went west to Route 16. It was a narrow path with a fence on one side and trees on both. I didn't notice Snorlax way ahead, only a lookout station, but now that I was back on the route, I realized I'd have no way of getting past the gargantuan. Luckily, it only took me a few moments to remember how to pass it: my Poké Flute.

I played the Poké Flute, and Snorlax woke up! It attacked in a grumpy rage! I was just thankfully out of range of the massive attack, but I was ready! "Go! Kara-Tee!" I knew going into this fight Snorlax was a Normal type, and judging by its size, it would be a tank to take down, but my superpower Pokémon could do this!

With all the faith I could muster, I ordered a Low Kick! Amazingly, Snorlax fell like a top! "Nice job girl! You took down half its health!" For once, Kara-Tee looked to me and smiled. Since Snorlax is such a rare Pokémon, I knew I had to be careful here, and instead went for a Karate Chop. Snorlax didn't take too much damage thankfully, so I was in the clear!

But it did Rest! With Rest, Snorlax could regain all its health and sleep. With another Karate Chop, and then a Low Kick, lowering Snorlax's health seemed easy! Snorlax did Amnesia, but that was fine since I only had no problems with Snorlax's special defense! With one more Karate Chop, the health was getting lower, but Snorlax repeated Rest, delaying the inevitable.

Then, something unexpected happened. Snorlax, rather than repeating Rest again, used Headbutt! The critical hit thrashed my Machoke, sending her flying into the forest! I couldn't see her, but judging by my Poké Gear, she still had some health. Snorlax stood, waiting for her to emerge, and soon she did, clearly bruised more than she liked.

I could tell she wanted to fight more, but Snorlax's health was too low to risk it, so instead I threw a Great Ball. "Darn! The Pokémon broke free!" I was running low on balls, so I was not feeling confident anymore. "At least it's sleeping again." With another Rest initiated, that gave Kara-Tee the chance to attack!

Kara-Tee whittled it down again, but it didn't matter. "Kara-Tee, look-" It was too late. Snorlax used Headbutt. Kara-Tee flew through several trees, and fainted.

Sending out Calcite, I figured a brute should take down this brute. Snorlax lead with Amnesia, but I used Defense Curl, preparing for the worst. My fears were unfounded however, as Headbutt did very little damage!

I had enough defense, so I decided to stick with throwing a Great Ball. But it failed. "Grr…Calcite, do Rock Throw," I said as Snorlax used Rest. Rock Throw hardly hurt, but that was okay. I only had a Poké Ball left though, so I was in trouble.

From that, I did my best to whittle Snorlax's health down, but with a lack of luck, Calcite couldn't do as much damage as I needed. And worse, Snorlax had used Headbutt! I didn't have much hope left, but I tried my last Poké Ball!

…It didn't work. After all that work, I had failed. And I wasn't happy. With silent rage, I said, "Calcite. Selfdestruct." Too loyal to question me, he raced to the large creature and exploded in a fantastic light, blasting dirt in all directions.

As the dust began to settle, I saw the two Pokémon. Despite being out of health, both were staring each other down. Not wanting to wage any more war, I returned Calcite to his ball. Snorlax got up and walked north through the trees. With a big yawn, Snorlax returned to the mountains!

I sighed to see it go. As I thought about it, it wasn't so bad. There was still Snorlax on the other side of Kanto, but the real bothersome thoughts came at how I lost both Kara-Tee and Calcite, and for basically nothing. I sighed again and went back to town for some more Poké Balls. Afterward, I marched on to go inside the lookout tower.

Before I got too far inside though, the guard stopped me. "Excuse me! Wait up please!" He startled me with such a quick response, but I obeyed and walked over. "No pedestrians are allowed on Cycling Road!"

"What?!" Already this was looking like Saffron City all over again. "Why?"

"You do know why it's called Cycling Road, right? Bikes only!" It was then that I finally realized I still never claimed my bike from the bike shop in Cerulean City.

"Fine…I'll be back." The guard didn't seem to mind and went back to…guard business, while I decided to go upstairs to think about things.

There wasn't much up here. A little boy and his girlfriend who were going on Cycling Road soon, some chairs, and two sets of binoculars. One set was pointed to Celadon Department Store, while the other looked at a long path over water.

Getting a bike would be a tough walk back. The only real way back would be through Rock Tunnel, and there was no way I was doing that again. I could try going back Lavender Town; I didn't get to see the south exit, after all.

In any case, I need Poké Balls, so I left the tower and made my way east along the route. But I was actually surprised when I finally noticed a tree that could be cut down. I figured I could take a quick detour to check it out.

After Gloom hacked away with Cut, I saw lots of grass…and a Doduo! It was a good thing I had bought some Great Balls, because I was going use one to catch it! "All right! Doduo was caught!"

Glad to have caught the Twin Bird Pokémon, Doduo was transferred to Bill's PC and I went on my way. I soon noticed the lookout tower was actually much wider and had a second entrance. Inside was an old man.

"How'd you get in?" he asked. Once I told him how, he responded with, "Good effort!" He didn't have much to say, so I went through the other door in back, and he didn't stop me!

'Yes!' I thought to myself. 'I can sneak around!' But I was wrong; Cycling Road was still blocked off by a high wood fence. "Eh, I don't feel like climbing that and getting hurt." Instead I went into a small house enclosed in the fence. A woman inside greeted me.

"Oh, you found my secret retreat!" She didn't seem too happy I discovered her secret place, so she continued. "Please don't tell anyone I'm here. I'll make it up to you with this!" Before I could even say a word, she pushed a disc into my hands. I received HM02!

"HM02 is Fly," she explained. "It will take you back to any town. Put it to good use!" Her Fearow crowed happily, but I was still confused.

"Well, I promise not to say a word," I stated, "but why are you being so secretive?" She blushed hard just at the question alone.

"Well, ahem, uh…let's just say winning lots of contests make you a big target for fans and paparazzi." I wasn't sure what she meant, but I wasn't going to bother her further.

After thanking her, I walked out and realized just how great this HM was. "With this, I can just fly to Cerulean City! Yes!" I rushed back to town to grab a flying Pokémon; it's time to finally start making progress!

To choose my next team member, a flying Pokémon, I'd need to return one of my teammates. I couldn't lose Daydreamer or Gloom because of their HMs, and I could never part with Charmeleon, so it was between Spirit, Kara-Tee, and Calcite. Spirit was the newbie, so I wanted him longer. And while I liked Kara-Tee a lot, she had reached her highest form for now without trading.

Calcite had as well, but he was at a higher level, so I let him stay and chose Doduo. As soon as she was out of the box, I had her learn Fly and went outside. Truthfully, Doduo didn't have wings, but the Pokédex did say it could fly, just poorly.

Amazingly enough, the Fly HM did work on her. "Huh…so, can you fly me to Cerulean City?" I asked the bird. She gave me a quizzical look. "Oh…maybe I have to point which way?" She nodded, and so I said, "Okay. Well, it's in," I looked at my Town Map, "that direction."

Suddenly, Doduo swooped its heads under me and threw me onto its back! Before I could do anything, I grabbed for whatever I could hold on to, which turned out to be the necks! But they didn't mind; instead, they took that as a signal to go, and so they ran, jumping and flying through forests and trees and buildings, faster than I could blink!

I couldn't be sure how long it took; it felt like seconds. But within no time we had arrived in Cerulean City! "I'm going to have to get used to that," I said shakily. Doduo nodded, and I returned her to the ball.

But as soon as I had regained my sense, I remembered what I was here for. My main priority was, of course, to cash in that Bike Voucher at Mirage Cycle.

As soon as I approached the counter, I slapped the Bike Voucher right in front of the owner. "Oh, that's…A BIKE VOUCHER!" Um…you can calm down now. But he was far too excited, immediately pulling out a brand new bike! "Okay! Here you go!" As soon as I exchanged the Bike Voucher, he handed me the very lightweight bicycle!

"Wow, I can't believe it, thanks!" He was very proud, and the two other people in the store looked on, one of which said, "Wow. Your bike is really cool!" I positively agreed!

"How do you like your new bicycle? You can take it on Cycling Road and in caves!" A great idea I was sure to make use of, but I had a better idea where to take it for my first test ride.

Heading south of Cerulean City on my new bike, I found the old day care house I visited so long ago, or at least it felt like so long ago. Driving down the hill was fun. The incline wasn't too steep, but it was downward, and the wind that passed me by was gentle and soft, cool to the touch. I could definitely get used to riding a bike!

Inside the day care stood the same emotionless man, and he asked me the same questions as last time. Of course I had remembered I left Diggy, my Diglet, here to train up and gain experience. In his place I left Calcite; I wanted him to be as strong as he was hard.

However, unlike my jolly friend Raticate, Diggy was not as amused by the experience. "Uh, what's wrong?" I asked. Diggy gave me a displeased look. I guess he wasn't happy about being left alone. He was always a shy guy, but being on his own must have been very lonesome. Needless to say, I wasn't very happy either…

I lived in Pallet Town all my life. It was rare I ever left the tiny place, so the only kids I had to get along with were Blue, Yellow, Green, Leaf, and Daisy. We all got along well enough when we were younger, but there were lots of times where I was alone, so I got used to it.

Essentially, I'm used to being alone; I've learned to take care of myself. But I'm not sure Diggy was used to it. After finally getting him back, he seemed very reticent, more timorous than usual.

He hadn't been too happy with me either. I had tested some battle with him, and thankfully he was still loyal, but now I wasn't sure if that was because of me, or because of the badges…

Nevertheless, I didn't want to delay things further, and I'd try to talk to Diggy tonight. But for now, I let out Doduo and decided to "fly." As Doduo bounded through the landscape at high speeds toward Celadon City, two thoughts crossed my mind.

Firstly, I really needed to get a better grip on Doduo if she was going to be my flier. And second, wondering how I could get Diggy's affection back. We arrived quickly in Celadon City, but we only stayed long enough for me to return Doduo to her ball. For this stretch of the journey, I wasn't going to ride her, or even walk, but use my brand new bicycle!

It was such a blast riding through Celadon. Being a compact city, that didn't take long, but with the wind racing past me, and the landscape blurring with movement, I was hooked. Who would have thought listening to an old man talk about his Rapidash would be so worth it?

I entered the lookout station and spoke with the attendant. "Cycling Road is a downhill course by the sea. It's a great ride. You have a bike, right?" I nodded and showed it off. "Good! Then enjoy Cycling Road!"

As I exited the door and looked upon the landscape, it was truly beautiful to see the waves bounce off the beach of Cycling Road. To my right I saw the house I got Fly, and I could have sworn I saw the girl inside wave. And to my left was the steep hill leading down to Fuchsia City.

But the beautiful picture had one flaw: the bikers from earlier had taken over Cycling Road. I should have been nervous; they were twice my size and could kick me senseless, but I had an advantage: my Pokémon could do the same to them.

One of the bikers turned and saw me. "What do you want?" I shook my head, but he was in a bad mood it seems. "I think…you want a pounding!" He sent out a tough Grimer, but I had Diggy! Diggy was still getting used to my hand commands, but he understood them a lot better than the biker Lao! "Hey, no cheating!"

There was no cheating here, as Diggy smacked Grimer from underground! Grimer had taken a critical hit, so no hope of Grimer retaliating! Diggy grew a level, but he was about to have a harder time with Lao's Koffing. Koffing's were famous for having the ability Levitate, so I couldn't use Dig. But I had a good feeling about Diggy, and left him.

First I commanded a Sand-Attack, blinding his Koffing a bit, but it still got a Tackle in. Then I commanded a Scratch, which Diggy performed, but was weaker than I expected! Opting to stick with Diggy, I fired off another Sand-Attack, but Koffing shot Smog in return! Diggy wasn't looking good, but I was working on a strategy, and I wanted to leave my faith in my Diglet.

And that faith was rewarded as Smog missed! With a couple more Sand-Attacks for good measure, Koffing was coughing Smog in all the wrong directions! Koffing desperately tried to follow Lao's commands, but it was no use. "Hit that mole! Now!" He screamed. Other bikers nearby were getting curious.

Diggy drove in for one last Scratch, flying past more Smog and delivering a defeating blow! Koffing had fainted, and we won! "Don't you dare laugh!" Lao said. But things only got better. Diggy started to evolve! A bright light encompassed Diggy, and he evolved into a Dugtrio! But the best part of it was, as I looked at his three faces, I could start to see a smile on all of them once again.

I returned my new Dugtrio, intending to heal him, but I gave the biker one last look before I left. He interpreted it and responded with, "We like just hanging here, what's it to you?" I wasn't going to test him any farther, so I returned to town to heal Diggy.

I came back shortly, and decided it might be best not to get into a rabble with the bikers. I didn't want to get myself in trouble. Unfortunately, they did. "Nice bike!" one guy said as he rode over to me. "Hand it over!"

He sent out a Machop, but I had a new Dugtrio to take him on! His Karate Chop was too slow to hit my speedy digger, and even though he got a Leer in, I finished Machop with a critical Scratch! After that, he chose a Mankey, so I switched to Doduo. She needed experience after all, and even though Mankey was fast with a critical Karate Chop, Fly was stronger!

"Bah!" the biker yelled. Fine, two done," he grumbled as he sent out another Machop. I let Doduo sit in a turn to get some experience, but immediately switched to Diggy again. My three-headed mole had no problems taking the Machop down. "No! This can't be the end for Cue Ball Koji!" …Cue Ball? "Knock out!"

He grumbled more as his money was transferred to me through our Trainer Cards. "Forget it, who needs your bike!" I did, of course, but with all these Bikers and…Cue Balls, I was going to need my Pokémon a whole lot more.

"Come out and play, little mouse!" said Cue Ball Luke. While I contemplated why trainers would choose a class rank of Cue Ball, he sent out his Mankey. I stuck with using my Dugtrio, determined to make him as strong as he could be. With a critical hit, his Mankey was no problem, and neither was his Machop.

With both of his Pokémon defeated, he felt insulted. So he insulted me. "You little rat!" he responded, and then bumped my bike! "I hate losing! Get away from me!" Well, I wasn't going to argue, so I moved on to the next biker. I was starting to realize that they weren't a threat, just like Team Rocket. Maybe that's why the police hadn't done anything about them yet.

I started to peddle away, and multitasked to switch my party so I would grab for Daydreamer in my next battle…and then I accidentally caused it. I felt myself suddenly stop, and then a Biker yelling at me. "Hey, you just bumped me!" Biker Hideo was very displeased, and responded with a powerful Weezing!

'I made the right choice,' I thought to myself, grabbing and sending out Daydreamer! With a Flash, Weezing was already in trouble, missing with Smog. I couldn't help but smirk as I commanded Confusion next, and watching as Weezing was thrown straight into the ground by Daydreamer's telekinetic attack!

"A critical hit won't help you!" Hideo said, and managed to land a critical hit of Smog. It barely hurt, but it did poison my partner! Wanting the battle over, I signaled for a Headbutt, which was more than enough to end the battle! "Kaboom!" He yelled…for some reason. "You can also get to Fuchsia from Vermilion using a coastal road."

It was very random for him to say, but it did jog my memory. I still had to take that way, and more importantly, I still had to take on that Snorlax that gave me so much trouble.

In the meantime, I would face off against Cue Ball Camron, who was feeling hungry and mean. I would have been worried, but he only had a Machop, and even poisoned Daydreamer was not worried. It didn't go down in one turn, but Camron had underestimated me and wasted his turn with Focus Energy. Headbutt from Daydreamer ended the fight, and of course Camron complained. "Bad, bad, bad!"

"Maybe you shouldn't try to be so scary," I said. He could yell and say he was feeling mean, but if he couldn't handle a kid, he didn't need to be so unruly.

He seemed offended by my suggestion, however. "I like my Pokémon ferocious! They tear up enemies!" I looked at him hard enough to make him realize he didn't hurt me a bit. "Well…usually…" he said sheepishly. I rolled my eyes and went on to yet another biker.

He had been watching all the battles, and he looked resolute and ready to face me. As soon as he saw me peddle over, he said, "Sure, I'll go!" With that, I took on Biker Ruben. His first Grimer was easy with Daydreamer, thanks to Confusion, but after leveling up, I decided to use Spirit for his next Grimer.

Confuse Ray kept Ruben's Grimer from harming me, and Spirit's Night Shade kept Grimer hurting! Grimer beat itself up, determined to tear apart the ducks above his head. The biker was very displeased, but I sure wasn't! Grimer managed to focus enough to use Disable! Sadly, I had to order a Lick attack, which Spirit hated me for a while.

With Grimer defeated, and another on the way, I returned poor Spirit and sent out Doduo. Doduo used Fly, leaping high into the air and hovering…somehow. Grimer tried to attack, but was too slow, so he waited until Doduo had dealt a critical blow before attacking with Pound.

Pound didn't mean much as Doduo flew yet again, and was finished by Doduo's soaring smash! Unfortunately, Biker Ruben was the ultimate in undistinguished and sent out his last Pokémon: a Grimer. Let down by a lack of diversity, I let Doduo continue and finish off Grimer the same as before.

The biker looked ready to jump off his bike, saying "Don't make me mad!" I shook my head in disappointment. He was angry about my reaction, and said, "I like harassing people with my vicious Pokémon!"

"If they were vicious," I said plainly, "they would have won." He was furious, livid, but speechless, for he knew I was right. I biked back to town, healing my team and hoping the ongoing journey would not be so devoid of logic or niceties.

My journey has always been rough in a way. Sometimes I'd have to camp outdoors; other times sit in a corner in a Pokémon Center. But the roughest part was always the battles. Even when the fights were easy, I'd still worry if something went wrong. Maybe it was leftover fears from Beedrill, or maybe they were always there, but they were here now.

Still, as worried as I was, the road ahead looked fine. Well, actually, it looked like I was going to go downhill…very fast, very hard to control it. At least the bikers here were quite easy. "What do you want, kiddo?" Grasping my Poké Ball while on a steep slope wasn't easy, but he got the message.

Cue Ball Isaiah's Machop and Machoke were hardly a problem. "Whoo!" he uttered in defeat. He didn't seem to take loss well as he shooed me away. "I could belly-bump you outta here!" Not wanting to take my chances, I moved on down the hill.

The next Cue Ball, Raul, was barely a threat. "There's no money in fighting kids!" Either he thought I was poor, or he knew his Mankey and Primeape were no match for me and Daydreamer. "Burned out!" he exclaimed. "Good stuff is lying around on Cycling Road!"

I'd believe it when I found it, because all I kept finding was more Bikers. "You heading to Fuchsia?" Biker Virgil asked. I nodded. "WELL…beat me first!" Uh…okay. His two Weezings and Koffing fell immediately to my Hypno's confusion. "Crash and burn!" Indeed. "I love racing downhill!"

"If you just wanted to race, we could have done that instead," I commented.

"Nah, I'd definitely beat you there," he said as he patted his motorcycle. "I'm the best that ever was!" Right…

Still, he gave me a fun idea, to just rush down the hill. With such speed, no bikers would stop me! And then they did. "We're Bikers! Highway stars!" said Biker Billy. Billy's Muk was intimidating, but fell quickly to the power of my Hypno. "Smoked!" he cried out, returning Muk to his ball. "Are you looking for adventure?"

"Well, yes," I admitted. Like Virgil before him, he looked at his bike as he answered me.

"Well kid, maybe you can join us. After all, you beat the greatest Muk in the land. You gotta be good for something!" His compliment tasted like an insult, but his eyes spoke sincerity. Still, I had no intention of joining a gang; Mom would kill me if I did. Instead, I rode on, hoping not to catch another biker's gaze.

On the way down, I rode between two ponds, and found a notice wedged in-between. It stated that I should watch out for discarded items. But unless they were buried, I couldn't imagine where they'd be. Another notice told me that all Pokémon are unique, and that even those of the same type and level grow at different rates. I noted to ask Oak if that actually was a tip or random weirdness.

Another sign got in my way, this time tell of using brakes on bikes. Apparently the pond path was full of signs, even reminding you of what route I was on. Still, now it was all past me, and I could rush down the hill!

"Nice bike! How's it handle?" Or I could get caught by Biker Jaxon. This time I opted to let Doduo gain experience, and she sadly could barely stand against his Weezing. Poisoned and beat down, I let Spirit fight his next Pokémon, Muk. It was another tough fight, but I needed to level up my team, so they'd have to take the hits.

"Shoot! The slope makes it hard to steer!" Clearly he was trying to blame his loss on the territory, but considering his Pokémon would hardly care, I didn't put stock into his statement. Still, with weakened Pokémon, I realized it might be best to heal again, even if it meant the risk of more bikers later. Riding uphill would be a nightmare, but Doduo had Fly to make the trip much easier.

After facing off against so many bikers, and riding up and down the hill to face them all, it was nice to finally just let myself cruise down the hill and take the wind to my face. It was a pleasant change that I greatly appreciated, and made sure to keep a clear path as I dropped down the road. It didn't take too long to reach the bottom, but once I did, I finally took a look upon the landscape.

The hill didn't have much feature, but it was a large hill, and there was a lot of water surrounding the area, as if we were about to jump into the sea. I was tempted to let everyone out and jump into the waves, but with the setting Sun, I figured I should sit back and prepare for the night. Fuchsia City wasn't far away, but I had grown used to camping.

I released the team and we set up a spot to start eating. As they ate their Pokémon blocks, I thought about the adventures ahead. There was still a lot to do, and a ton of Pokémon to get. Fuchsia City's Gym was the next big challenge, and according to the Town Map, the Safari Zone also was in range.

I also remembered that the Pokémon Zoo was in Fuchsia City, and that I had been there once as a kid. There was a reason we only went once though...sadly, they didn't have a lot of Pokémon to show off when I was younger. Hopefully, though, that's changed.

However, the only thing that changed was the sudden onset of motorcycles! Out of the peace and quiet came the roar of their engines, as all the bikers rode out of the guard post to the east! I hoped they wouldn't notice me, and thankfully it seems they didn't.

"Darn it! We couldn't convince all those Westside Biker punks to join us!" It was the bald guy, Paxton. "You four," he pointed to four of his new crewmates, "are clearly the best guys your gang had to offer! You won't let me down!" Apparently they liked that a lot.

He started revving his bike up and pointed back up the hill. "Let's go, boys! We'll take down Team Rocket, and claim Kanto for ourselves!" The nine of them revved up and drove up the hill. I wasn't sure what was about to happen, but I was just thankful it was happening far away from me.


End file.
